As we welcome a new era in the world of soccer, legends such as Johan Cruyff, Diego Maradona, and Pele have stepped aside and given way to a new generation of stars.
For many, Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi have cemented their places in history alongside the greats of yesteryear while also surpassing them. The two renowned rivals have set themselves apart from the pack, and they’ve shared a total of 13 Ballon d’Ors this century.
Find out what’s more about the all-time greats in this post compiled by expert Kate Richardson.
The Constant Rivalry Between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo
The present era of football was shaped by the rivalry that began in 2008 when Ronaldo and Messi met for the first time. Although they were both young, driven, and obviously brilliant, nobody could have predicted the intensity of the rivalry that would ensue between them in the following decade. But that’s all part of the game. As Swedish former footballer, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, once said “Rivalries are what make the sport; they make the game.”
The first time we saw these two giants play together was in the 2008 Champions League semi-final when Manchester United and Barcelona met. Though there wasn’t a single game scored in the game, Ronaldo’s United made it to the final. And as you may have guessed, that launched his reign as Europe’s dominant player. Although this initial meeting lacked glory or goals, it signaled the heated clashes that were to follow.
Messi’s All-Time Career Stats
When it comes to football, Lionel Messi has more medals than any other player. The Argentine superstar’s impact goes far beyond football; he is rightfully considered one of the best athletes of the 2000s, according to ESPN.
Besides his many other achievements, Lionel Messi has the distinction of being the all-time leading scorer for Barcelona and Argentina. Here are just a few more of the numerous records from Messi’s illustrious career and in several tournaments:
- 672 goals for Barcelona
- 192 LaLiga assists
- 474 LaLiga goals
- 91 goals in 2012
- 17 FIFA FIFPRO World XI appearances
- 36 LaLiga hat tricks
- 10 LaLiga championships
- 8 Ballon d’Or awards
- 9 LaLiga Best Player awards
- 7 Copa del Rey titles
- 4 Champions League titles
- 6 Champions League scoring titles
- 3 Best FIFA Men’s Player awards
- 3 FIFA Club World Cup titles
- 3 UEFA Super Cup goals
- 2 Ligue 1 championships
- 2 FIFA World Cup Golden Ball awards
- 2 Copa América titles
- 1 MLS MVP
- 1 Leagues Cup title
- 1 World Cup title
- 1 MLS Best IX
- 1 Olympic gold medal
Ronaldo’s All-Time Career Stats
Ronaldo has won the Ballon d’Or five times and scored over 900 world cup goals plus club goals. He also has a total of 135 goals for Portugal and has played in 217 international games, which makes him the top scorer in the history of men’s football.
Besides being the all-time leading scorer for the Champions League (141 goals) and Real Madrid (451 goals), he led Portugal to the 2016 European Championship victory.
After scoring twice in Al-2-1 Nassr’s triumph over Al-Hilal in the Arab Club Champions Cup final on August 12, 2023, Ronaldo finally brought home a trophy from Saudi Arabia.
Some of His other achievements and honors include:
- Five Ballon d’Or victories
- The Top Men’s FIFA Player
- Five Champions League medals
- Led Portugal to victory in the 2016 European Championship as captain
- Top scorer with 135 goals for the men’s national team
- Men’s all-time rank in international competition (217 matches)
- United Football League’s all-time leading scorer (141 goals)
- Reigning Fifa World Cup scorer in five separate eras
- 256 assists and 915 goals in 1,254 appearances
Messi Or Ronaldo – So Who is the Best?
Who is the greatest of all time: Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo? Since the “Diego Maradona or Pele?” controversy, we’ve barely had a football puzzle that’s quite as large as this. Many years have down the line and fans all over the world are still debating the relative merits of the Portuguese phenomenon and the empyrean Argentine.
On the whole, people’s opinion about how good a player is is determined by their personality traits and, of course, allegiance to a particular club or country. For fans in Canada, the Messi vs. Ronaldo debate often spills over into discussions about soccer sports betting, with many wondering which players are the safest bets.
Interestingly, a recent rise in the number of Canadian football fans who bet on sports has led to more people desiring to use online betting platforms. Many Canadian gamblers are increasingly looking for trustworthy and dependable sports betting sites, according to a survey by MightyTips Canada.
So, who exactly is the best of all time? Regardless of your preference, Kate has compared both players in this section to provide you with the right details you need to judge rightly.
Who Scores More Goals?
Ronaldo has scored a few more goals for his club than Lionel Messi, but that’s probably because the Al-Nassr great has played in two more seasons than his Argentine rival.
Throughout their careers, each player has scored over 700 goals for their respective clubs. Every season from 2009–10 to 2014–15 was unique because they inspired each other to do even better.
Messi has scored more goals than Ronaldo this season (37.9 to 35), and he reached a career-high of 73 in 2011–12. However, his average decreased following a disappointing debut campaign with PSG in 2021–22, so Ronaldo now takes the lead.
Who Gives More Assists?
A football player gives an assist when he passes the ball to another player on the team, who then goes on to score a goal. In the words of Messi himself, “Football is a team sport, and the most important thing is to win together, not just to score goals.”
As of December 2024, Messi had a total of 379 assists, while Ronaldo had 256. But Ronaldo has played in more games than Messi has.
Who is the Best at Passing, Dribbling, and Free Kicks?
Well, we daresay it’s Messi. According to experts, he dribbles the ball better than anyone else, makes perfect crosses at the right time, and kicks the ball more accurately than Ronaldo.
Who Scores More Hat-Tricks?
Although Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are currently tied for first place among all-time great footballers, Ronaldo has a slight advantage. Together, Messi and Ronaldo have scored 125 hat tricks over their outstanding careers; Ronaldo has 66 and Messi has 59.
Conclusion: Ronaldo Says He’s Never Had Personal Issues With Messi
Messi and Ronaldo may not be best of friends, but they aren’t enemies either. From what we’ve seen, they treat each other with the utmost respect, and their relationship has improved recently. The following instances prove that:
- When Ronaldo won the Copa del Rey, he didn’t immediately celebrate with the prize. Instead, he went to comfort Messi about his loss.
- Both players had fun making jokes on the field during the game between Portugal and Argentina at Old Trafford.
- During the 2014 FIFA Ballon d’Or, Cr7’s son met Messi, and Cr7 revealed that his kid had become a fan of Messi after seeing his videos on YouTube.
Clearly, these two are the greatest footballers the world has ever seen.
