Messi vs Ronaldo Goals: The rivalry between Messi and Ronaldo has been a hotly contested topic among football fans and experts for many years. Both players have achieved incredible success throughout their careers and are widely regarded as two of the greatest footballers of all time.
Ultimately, it’s hard to say who’s better between Messi and Ronaldo because it depends on what people like. Some fans think Messi’s skills and creativity make him better, while others think Ronaldo’s hard work and physical strength make him better. Both players have left a lasting impact on the sport and will be remembered for their amazing contributions to football.
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In this article, we will look at the statistics of Messi and Ronaldo over their careers to decide which player is the best of all time.
LIONEL MESSI
Market Value: €35.00m
CRISTIANO RONALDO
Market Value: €15.00m
| Messi | Detail | Ronaldo |
|---|---|---|
| Jun 24, 1987 | Date of Birth | Feb 5, 1985 |
| Argentina | Citizenship | Portugal |
| 1,70 m | Height | 1,87 m |
| Left | Foot | Right |
| Inter Miami CF | Current Club | Al-Nassr FC |
| Dec 31, 2025 | Contract Expires | Jun 30, 2025 |
| Right Winger | Position | Centre-Forward |
| Argentina | National Player | Portugal |
Messi vs Ronaldo Goals:
Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are two of the best goal-scorers in football history, having scored a lot of goals during their careers.
| TOTALS | Ronaldo | Messi |
|---|---|---|
| Appearances | 1211 | 1075 |
| Goals | 879 | 833 |
| Penalties Goals | 161 | 110 |
| Free Kick Goals | 59 | 64 |
| Average | 0.72 | 0.77 |
| Assists | 283 | 400 |
| Titles | 35 | 43 |
| Ballon d’Or | 5 | 8 |
| European Golden Shoe | 4 | 6 |
lionel messi vs cristiano ronaldo Statistics for the 2023/2024 Season
| Competition | Ronaldo | Messi |
|---|---|---|
| Matches | 37 | 6 |
| Goals | 36 | 6 |
| Assists | 12 | 2 |
| Penalty Goals | 9 | – |
| Minutes Per Goals | 90′ | 76′ |
| Minutes Played | 3.251′ | 454′ |
lionel messi vs cristiano ronaldo Statistics for the 2022/2023 Season
In 2023, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo continued to impress the fan, but their success levels were different. let’s take a look
Lionel Messi:
Messi played for PSG in the 2022 season. Although his team had some difficulties, he still did well individually. He scored 16 goals and made 16 assists in 32 matches in the French league. In the UEFA Champions League, he scored 4 goals and made 4 assists in 7 matches. However, his team couldn’t make it Into the round of 16. Now he plays for Inter Miami and already scored 9 goals in 6 matches.
| Competition | Goals | App | Assists |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ligue 1 | 16 | 32 | 16 |
| Champions League | 4 | 7 | 4 |
| Leagues Cup | 9 | 6 | 1 |
| Coupe de France | – | 1 | – |
| Trophée des Champions | 1 | 1 | – |
| Argentina | 16 | 12 | 5 |
| TOTAL | 46 | 59 | 26 |
Cristiano Ronaldo:
Ronaldo played for Al Nassr in the 2022/23 season, He made 34 appearances in total, where he scored 17 goals and gave 4 assists in the league.
| Competition | Goals | App | Assists |
|---|---|---|---|
| Saudi Pro League | 14 | 16 | 2 |
| Premier League | 1 | 10 | – |
| Europa League | 2 | 6 | 2 |
| King’s Cup | – | 2 | – |
| Saudi Super Cup | – | 1 | – |
| Portugal | 7 | 12 | 1 |
| TOTAL | 24 | 47 | 5 |
Game Statistics:
| Game Stats | Messi | Ronaldo |
|---|---|---|
| Shots/Goal | 5.22 | 6.40 |
| Goals Outside The Box | 104 | 67 |
| Dribbling | 2,996 | 1,640 |
| Key Passes | 1,460 | 1160 |
| Correct Passes | 27,625 | 14,899 |
Titles of Leonel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo
Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have both received many individual awards, such as the Ballon d’Or and the UEFA Men’s Player of the Year Award and have broken many records in their respective careers.
Lionel Messi began his professional career with FC Barcelona in 2004 and has stayed with the team for his entire career. He has won many championships with Barcelona, both domestically and internationally.
Cristiano Ronaldo started his career with Sporting CP in Portugal and then joined Manchester United in 2003. He has also played for Real Madrid and Juventus, winning many titles with both teams. Ronaldo has won the Ballon d’Or award five times and holds the record for the most goals scored in the history of the UEFA Champions League and Real Madrid.
The rivalry between Messi and Ronaldo is one of the most intense and closely followed in the history of football. They have competed against each other for individual and team honors on a regular basis.
Messi Total titles = 43
Messi has had a highly successful career, winning many awards and titles at both club and international levels. With FC Barcelona, he has won 10 La Liga titles, 7 Copa del Rey titles, and 4 Champions League titles. In addition, he won the Copa America with the Argentine national team in 2021 and the 2022 FIFA World Cup, his second major international trophy. In total, Messi has won 43 major titles throughout his career.
Leonel Messi Title with Barcelona (34):
| Titles | No |
|---|---|
| La Liga | 10 |
| Copa Del Rey | 7 |
| Spanish Super Cup | 7 |
| UEFA Champions League | 4 |
| UEFA Super Cup | 3 |
| FIFA Club World Cup | 3 |
| Total | 34 |
Leonel Messi Title With Paris Saint-Germain (3):
| Titles | No |
|---|---|
| Ligue 1 | 2 |
| Trophée Des Champions | 1 |
| Total | 3 |
Leonel Messi Title with Argentina U20 And Argentina U23 (2):
| Titles | No |
|---|---|
| FIFA World Youth Championship | 1 |
| Summer Olympics | 1 |
| Total | 2 |
Leonel Messi Title With Argentina (3):
| Titles | No |
|---|---|
| FIFA World Cup | 1 |
| Copa América | 1 |
| CONMEBOL–UEFA Cup of Champions | 1 |
| Total | 3 |
Leonel Messi Title With Inter Miami (1):
| Titles | No |
|---|---|
| Leagues Cup | 1 |
| Total | 1 |
Cristiano Ronaldo’s Total titles = 36
Ronaldo has been highly successful in his career and has won many prestigious titles and awards, both at the club and international levels. He has won a total of 36 major titles, including 3 Premier League titles, 2 La Liga titles, and 5 Champions League titles, playing for Manchester United, Real Madrid, and Juventus. In addition to this, he has also won the European Championship with the Portuguese national team in 2016 and the UEFA Nations League in 2019.
Cristiano Ronaldo’s Title with Sporting CP (1):
| Titles | No |
|---|---|
| Supertaça Cândido De Oliveira | 1 |
| Total | 1 |
Cristiano Ronaldo’s Title with Manchester United (10):
| Titles | No |
|---|---|
| Premier League | 3 |
| FA Cup | 1 |
| Football League Cup | 2 |
| FA Community Shield | 1 |
| UEFA Champions League | 1 |
| FIFA Club World Cup | 1 |
| Total | 9 |
Cristiano Ronaldo Title With Real Madrid (16):
| Titles | No |
|---|---|
| La Liga | 2 |
| Copa Del Rey | 2 |
| Supercopa de España | 2 |
| UEFA Champions League | 4 |
| UEFA Super Cup | 3 |
| FIFA Club World Cup | 3 |
| Total | 16 |
Cristiano Ronaldo Title with Juventus (5):
| Titles | No |
|---|---|
| Serie A | 2 |
| Coppa Italia | 1 |
| Supercoppa Italiana | 2 |
| Total | 5 |
Cristiano Ronaldo Title With Portugal U20 (1):
| Titles | No |
|---|---|
| Toulon Tournament | 1 |
| Total | 1 |
Cristiano Ronaldo Title With Al Nassr (1):
| Titles | No |
|---|---|
| Arab Club Champions Cup | 1 |
| Total | 1 |
Cristiano Ronaldo Title With Portugal (2):
| Titles | No |
|---|---|
| UEFA European Championship | 1 |
| UEFA Nations League | 1 |
| Total | 2 |
Leonel Messi vs Cristiano Ronaldo – Statistics at club level
Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are good at playing football, and they have done really well when playing for their clubs.
Here are some numbers that show how good they have been.
| Club | Messi | Ronaldo |
|---|---|---|
| Matches | 889 | 985 |
| Goals | 721 | 731 |
| Average | 0.81 | 0.74 |
| Assists | 344 | 234 |
| Penalties Goals | 84 | 137 |
| Minutes Per Goals | 101′ | 110′ |
| Minutes Played | 73.014′ | 80.569′ |
| TITLES | 38 | 33 |
Leonel Messi vs Cristiano Ronaldo – Statistics at the national team level
To compare Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo in terms of their national team performance, here are the numbers:
Lionel Messi has played for the Argentina national team in big competitions like the World Cup, Copa America, and the Olympics. He has scored 106 goals in 178 games for Argentina.
Cristiano Ronaldo has played for the Portugal national team in big competitions like the World Cup and the European Championships. He has scored 127 goals in 203 games for Portugal.
| Messi | Ronaldo | |
|---|---|---|
| Matches | 180 | 206 |
| Goals | 106 | 128 |
| Average | 0.59 | 0.62 |
| Assists | 56 | 45 |
| Penalties Goals | 23 | 20 |
| Minutes Per Goals | 139′ | 126′ |
| Minutes Played | 14.770′ | 16.058′ |
| TITLES | 5 | 2 |
Face-to-face clashes between Messi and Cristiano
Messi and Ronaldo have played against each other many times during their careers, both at the club level and in international competitions. However, they have only faced each other a few times because they play for different teams.
In club matches, Messi’s team Barcelona and Ronaldo’s team Real Madrid have played against each other 34 times. During these matches, Messi scored 22 goals and Ronaldo scored 21 goals.
Leo Messi:
| Competition | App | Goals | Wins | Draws |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| La Liga | 18 | 12 | 10 | 4 |
| Champions League | 6 | 3 | 2 | 2 |
| Copa del Rey | 5 | – | 1 | 2 |
| Spanish Supercopa | 5 | 6 | 2 | 1 |
| International Friendly | 2 | 1 | 1 | – |
| Total | 36 | 22 | 16 | 09 |
Cristiano Ronaldo:
| Competition | App | Goals | Wins | Draws |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| La Liga | 18 | 9 | 4 | 4 |
| Champions League | 6 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| Copa del Rey | 5 | 5 | 2 | 2 |
| Spanish Supercopa | 5 | 4 | 2 | 1 |
| International Friendly | 2 | 1 | 1 | – |
| Total | 36 | 21 | 11 | 09 |
Individual awards for Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo
Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are both incredibly talented football players who have dominated the sport for more than ten years. They have broken many records and won many championships during their careers. Because of their amazing performances on the field, they have received many individual awards.
Here are some of the major individual awards that Cristiano Ronaldo has won:
| AWARDS | Messi | Ronaldo |
|---|---|---|
| Golden Ball | 8 | 5 |
| Golden Boot | 6 | 4 |
| FIFA Player of the Year | 7 | 5 |
| Laureus Award | 1 | – |
| World Cup Golden Ball | 2 | – |
| UEFA Club Player of the Year Award | 1 | 1 |
| UEFA Award for Best Player in Europe | 3 | 3 |
| Spanish La Liga Pichichi Trophy | 7 | 3 |
| Premier League Golden Boot | – | 1 |
| Champions League top scorer | 6 | 7 |
| La Liga Player of the Year | 6 | 1 |
| Serie A Player of the Year | – | 1 |
| Premier League Player of the Year | – | 2 |
| Onze d’Or by Onze Mondial | 4 | 2 |
| Silver ball | 5 | 6 |
| Bronze ball | 1 | 1 |
| World’s Best Game Builder (IFFHS) | 4 | – |
| Best Major League Scorer (IFFHS) | 4 | 2 |
| Best goalscorer in the world (IFFHS) | 2 | 5 |
| World Soccer Best Player | 5 | 5 |
| UEFA Award for Best Forward of the Year | 2 | 3 |
| UEFA Goal of the Year | 3 | 2 |
| TOTAL | 104 | 79 |
Who has scored more goals from the penalty spot? Messi or Cristiano
Cristiano Ronaldo has scored more goals from penalties than Lionel Messi. Throughout his career, Ronaldo has scored a total of 161 penalties, while Messi has scored 110 penalties.
| Messi | Ronaldo | |
|---|---|---|
| Penalty Goals | 110 | 161 |
Free-kick goals from Messi and Cristiano
Scoring goals from free-kicks is a unique skill possessed by only a few players, and it sets them apart from others. Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are both known for their ability to score goals from free-kicks, which makes their competition even more remarkable.
Leone Messi:
| Team | Free Kick Goals |
|---|---|
| FC Barcelona | 50 |
| Argentina | 09 |
| PSG | 02 |
| Inter Miami | 3 |
| TOTAL | 64 |
Christian Ronaldo:
| Team | Free Kick Goals |
|---|---|
| Manchester Utd | 14 |
| Real Madrid | 32 |
| Juventus | 01 |
| Portugal | 10 |
| Al Nassr | 02 |
| TOTAL | 59 |
Conclusions
Since the 2009/2010 Season, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo played against each other in La Liga, and their rivalry has been breaking records and statistics. They played against each other for eight seasons while representing FC Barcelona and Real Madrid, respectively.
Although Ronaldo started his career earlier, Messi has proven to be better at scoring goals and providing assists than Ronaldo. Messi’s scoring average is also higher because he has played more games as a professional.
However, the debate between them is not just about numbers. Ronaldo’s work ethic and leadership on the field give him an advantage that his stats do not fully capture. He motivates his teammates to perform at their best and has a winning mentality.
On the other hand, Messi’s contributions go beyond just scoring and assisting goals. He has been the driving force of FC Barcelona for the past decade, creating opportunities and entertaining fans with his incredible skills. Watching Messi play is a treat for all football fans, regardless of which team they support.