In football, very few debates create as much hype as Messi vs. Ronaldo. Every football fan has once heard this question and chosen a side. Whenever the question of who is better among Messi and Ronaldo comes up, the football globe seems divided into two parts.
For more than a decade, Messi and Ronaldo have dominated the football world. Their rivalry transcends clubs, loyalties, and national allegiances, making it a global phenomenon. From the start of their careers to their prime, these gems went head-to-head with each other on many bases. Now that both of them are not far away from hanging their boots, let’s head into the ultimate question.
This blog will help you see the most important aspects of their career, including statistics, records, and accomplishments. Now let’s start with the beginning of their career.
Early Career
Messi
Lionel Messi was born on July 24, 1987, in Rosario. He grew up in a football-loving family, which resulted in him developing a passion for football from an early age. Messi joined local club Grandoli at the age of four. He then joined Newells Old Boys at the age of six. He stayed for six years there. He became famous among the local crowd as he used to perform various ball tricks and skills during the game and training.
His professional career started at the age of ten, when he was diagnosed with growth hormone deficiency. The health insurance of his father and his club covered the expenses for his therapy. In 2000, Messi came to Spain to give a trial in Barcelona. He was enrolled in La Masia in 2001. After joining La Masia, Messi’s career graph only went up.
During his first full season at Cadates A, he became the highest scorer, scoring 30 goals in 36 games. At the age of 16, Messi was promoted to Barcelona’s main team. He first made his debut in a friendly against Porto. At Barcelona, he met some of the best midfielders to play the game, like Xavi Hernandez, Andres Iniesta, and Ronaldinho. Messi made his first league debut in 2004 against Espanyol. He scored his first goal against Albacete, which Ronaldinho assisted.
Ronaldo
Cristiano Ronaldo was born on February 5, 1985, in Sao Pedro. His youth career started in 1992 in Andorinha. In 1997, he went on a 3-day trial with Sporting FC. He then joined Sporting’s youth team. In 1998, Ronaldo was diagnosed with tachycardia and went through laser surgery.
Ronaldo made his senior team debut against Inter Milan at 16. Due to his explosive style of play, many Premier League clubs had their eyes on him. In 2003, due to the influence of Sir Alex Ferguson, Ronaldo joined Manchester United. He then ruled the Premier League, scoring many goals and winning trophies. In 2009, he joined Spanish giant Real Madrid.
The rivalry between Barcelona and Real Madrid was quite famous in world football. Ronaldo’s arrival in Spain gave birth to another great rivalry: Messi vs. Ronaldo.
Messi vs Ronaldo: Playstyle
Messi
Messi, from the beginning of his career, was a phenomenal dribbler. His small build allowed him to get past opponents quite easily. Messi possessed the abilities of a midfielder and a winger. He had the pace of a winger and the creative vision of a midfielder. He mostly played as a right winger and false nine for the majority of his career. In the later part of his career, he plays as a creative midfielder, operating mostly in the center.
Ronaldo
Ronaldo played as an explosive winger for a major part of his career. He could take on defenders and take powerful long-range shots. His pace and usage of both feet made him very dangerous. He held the position of left-winger during his prime days, and now he plays as Fox in the box.
Messi vs Ronaldo Stats
When it comes to career stats, both of these legends have produced and are still producing unreal numbers. Let’s have a look at each of their phenomenal statistics.
Messi
Messi has 105 minutes per goal and 72 minutes per goal contribution.
Ronaldo
Ronaldo has 112 minutes per goal and 88 minutes per goal contribution.
Who is the better scorer?
If we compare the stats, we can see that Messi scores 0.78 goals per game, while Ronaldo scores 0.73. When we look at goals per minute, Messi scores every 105 minutes, while Ronaldo scores a goal every 112 minutes.
Who is the better provider?
As the statistics show, Messi has a very clear upper hand in the department of assists. Messi has an astounding 374 assists in 1069 career appearances, while Ronaldo has 252 assists in 1231.
Messi Vs Ronaldo: International Goals
Messi
Ronaldo
Both of these superstars have had fantastic international careers. Ronaldo scores every 130 minutes from Portugal, and Messi scores every 142 minutes from Argentina. Messi has a goal contribution every 90 minutes, whereas Ronaldo contributes every 102 minutes.
When it comes to international trophies, Messi is much more decorated than Ronaldo. He won Copa America in 2021 and 2024. His biggest achievement is winning the greatest trophy in football—the FIFA World Cup 2022. Messi also reached the final of the FIFA World Cup 2014, where Argentina lost against Germany. He played in the finals of the Copa America in 2015 and 2016, where Argentina lost both times against Chile.
His individual achievements in Argentina include:
- FIFA World Cup Golden Ball-(2014 and 2022)
- Copa America Golden Ball-(2015 and 2021)
- FIFA World Cup Silver Boot-(2022)
Ronaldo is equally great at the international level, scoring the highest international goals ever. Ronaldo has reached two major international finals with Portugal, winning one at the 2016 European Championships and losing the other at Euro 2004. He won the UEFA Nations League with Portugal in 2019.
His individual achievements in Portugal include:
- UEFA Euro Golden Boot-(2021)
- UEFA Euro Silver Boot-(2016)
- On the international level, Ronaldo is the highest scorer, while Messi is most decorated with major trophies and individual awards.
Messi vs. Ronaldo: Records
Both Messi and Ronaldo have set several records throughout their careers. Here’s a comprehensive look at some of their most notable records:
Records of Messi
- Messi holds the record for the most goals scored from a single club (672 goals for Barcelona).
- Messi scored the most goals in a calendar year (91 goals in 2012).
- Messi is the all-time top scorer in La Liga, scoring 474 goals.
- Messi has the most assists provided in La Liga, with 192 assists.
- Messi has won the most Ballon d’Or (8 times).
Records of Ronaldo
- Ronaldo is the all-time top scorer in the Champions League with 140 goals.
- Ronaldo holds the record for the highest number of international goals with 130 goals.
- Ronaldo holds the record for the highest Champions League in a single season with 17 goals.
- Ronaldo is the top scorer in the history of the European Championships, with 14 goals.
Messi vs Ronaldo Champions League
In the Champions League too these two giants are in domain of their own. Ronaldo has scored more goals than Messi. He has played 183 games in which he has scored 140 goals. His goal contribution per minute is 88. He has won 5 UCL trophies.
Messi has scored 129 goals in 163 games in the Champions League. He has a goal contribution of 80 per minute. He has won 4 UCL trophies.
Other stats comparison
Most hattricks
Both Messi and Ronaldo have scored a lot of hattricks throughout their career. Messi has 57 total hattricks while Ronaldo has 66. Ronaldo may still be the overall leader, but Messi has a little advantage in terms of frequency. Messi hits a hat trick in 18.8 games, while Ronaldo does it every 18.7 games.
Penalties
When it comes to penalties Ronaldo has a clear upper hand to Messi. Excluding shootouts, Ronaldo has scored an incredible 164 penalties (with 30 misses) in his career, while Messi has 109 penalties (31 misses). Ronaldo has a conversion rate of 85% while Messi has 78%.
Free kicks
In recent years Messi has presented himself as the ultimate free-kick king. Ronaldo in his early days known as a free-kick specialist. In terms of all-time career stats, Messi now has 65 free-kick goals to Ronaldo’s 63.
Shooting
Ronaldo has regularly had more shots on goal than Messi, with 3708 in the league and Champions League since 2009/10, compared to Messi’s 2999.
Messi, on the other hand, converts a higher percentage of his shots, scoring a goal every 5.27 attempts, whereas Ronaldo scored every 6.43. Leo Messi also has a higher percentage of shots on target (47.18%) than Ronaldo (41.05%).
Conclusion: Messi Vs. Ronaldo
The debate about Messi vs Ronaldo goes beyond statistics. It touches the very soul of football and shows billions of fans what it means to be part of the greatest rivalry of all time. As we celebrate their extraordinary feats the fact of who is better among them is irrelevant now. Their rivalry has become the means of celebrating the exceptional talents and contributions of both players.
Their impact on this beautiful game is unreal. Ruling continuously for more than a decade consistently is no ordinary feat. In the end, the actual winners are us fans who got to see these generational players at once. As for who is better among the two the answer depends on you.
