Cristiano Ronaldo or Lionel Messi – Who is the best & GOAT in football?

A contentious topic of conversation Cristiano Ronaldo vs Lionel Messi on barstools and five-a-side fields worldwide, the question of who the greatest player of all time is still alive and well.

Who is the greatest of all time, Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo? This is the biggest football puzzle since the “Diego Maradona vs. Pele” controversy.

Football fans worldwide have been obsessed with the topic of who is better—the Portuguese phenomenon or the empyrean Argentine—for the past ten years and will likely continue to do so.
People’s perceptions of players are influenced by their personalities and club and country allegiances, which can distort their judgment.

Most people are aware of who they would choose.
So who is the best of all time, in reality? Whatever your preference, GOAL has examined how the two stack up against one another so you can enter the never-ending debate properly informed.

Lionel Messi vs. Cristiano Ronaldo: Club goals

The table above compares the total goals scored by Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi during each season from 2002-03 to 2023-24.

• Cristiano Ronaldo: His highest-scoring season was 2011-12 with 60 goals, and his total across the seasons is 739 goals.
• Lionel Messi: His highest-scoring season was also 2011-12, where he scored an impressive 73 goals. His total across the seasons is 715 goals.

Although Ronaldo is just barely ahead of Messi in club goals, it should be noted that the Al-Nassr star has an advantage due to having played two more seasons than his Argentine rival so far.
Over 700 club goals have been scored by each of them in their impressive career to date.

The five seasons between 2009–10 and 2014–15 was especially memorable as they challenged one another to reach new heights.

Messi has a better season average (37.9 to 35) than Ronaldo, even though the latter currently has more goals overall. Messi peaked at 73 goals in 2011–12, but his average declined following a dismal first season at PSG in 2021–22.

In 2014–15, Ronaldo recorded his highest season return of 61 goals. From 2010–11 to 2015–16, he scored more than 50 goals in six consecutive seasons.

Fascinatingly, Messi’s season totals have been steady, even though the Argentine’s pace slowed after joining PSG, while Ronaldo’s have decreased slightly in recent years—he missed out on breaking the 30-goal threshold in 2018–19 during his debut season at Juventus.

Lionel Messi vs. Cristiano Ronaldo: Club assists

The table you provided appears to compare the number of goals scored by Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi each season from 2002-03 to 2023-24. Here’s a breakdown of the data:

• Cristiano Ronaldo’s Goal Total per Season: Starts with 4 goals in the 2002-03 season and ends with 11 goals in the 2023-24 season. His highest-scoring season is 2014-15 with 21 goals.
• Lionel Messi’s Goal Total per Season: Begins with no goals in the 2002-03 season and ends with 11 goals in the 2023-24 season. His highest-scoring season is 2011-12 with 30 goals.
• Total Goals: Over the seasons listed, Cristiano Ronaldo has scored 214 goals, while Lionel Messi has scored 313 goals.

Messi is far more adept at providing assists than Ronaldo is, and this difference has gotten more pronounced as their roles have changed.

While Ronaldo contributes his fair share, Messi’s prolific goal-scoring and goal-creating stature is a significant factor in determining which player is the greatest of all time. The distinction is evident in this area.

Cristiano Ronaldo vs Messi: Champions League stats

*As of the 2022–2023 Champions League matches*

Ronaldo, who excelled in the competition with Manchester United and Real Madrid in particular, is the all-time highest goalscorer in the Champions League.

But if Messi keeps up his strong play in the competition, he has a solid chance of passing the Man United player because he isn’t far behind and actually has a slightly superior goal-per-game ratio.

Moreover, Ronaldo has surpassed Iker Casillas to win the record for the most Champions League appearances overall.

World Cup data comparing Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo

In terms of World Cups, none had prevailed until Argentina did so in 2022 after a succession of outstanding performances by Messi.

Prior to the 2022 World Cup, Portugal’s great Ronaldo had more goals and fewer games in his career. However, Messi turned things around in Qatar, helping his nation win the championship with an incredible seven goals and three assists.

The Inter Miami star scored in every round of the competition, finishing with a brace against France in the championship game. Argentina emerged victorious after penalty kicks, scoring again from 12 yards out (3-3 AET).

The Selecao’s run to the semi-final in 2006—when they were defeated by France and lost the third-place play-off against Germany—was the furthest Ronaldo has gone with Portugal.

Cristiano Ronaldo vs Lionel Messi: International stats

Both Ronaldo and Messi have comparable international records, but Ronaldo has more, in part because he began playing for Portugal two years before Messi did with Argentina.

At Euro 2020, Ronaldo tied Ali Daei’s record of 109 goals for his country before surpassing it with two goals against the Republic of Ireland to take the top spot as the all-time international goal scorer.

Though Messi has surpassed the legendary Gabriel Batistuta a few years ago to become Argentina’s all-time best goal scorer, he is still far behind Ronaldo in that regard.

Cristiano Ronaldo vs Messi: Titles

• World Cup Wins: Ronaldo 0, Messi 1
• European Championship / Copa America: Ronaldo 1, Messi 1
• Nations League / Finalissima: Ronaldo 1, Messi 1
• Olympics: Ronaldo 0, Messi 1
• League Titles: Ronaldo 7, Messi 12
• Champions League Titles: Ronaldo 5, Messi 4
• Club World Cup Titles: Ronaldo 4, Messi 3
• National Cups: Ronaldo 4, Messi 7
• Total Major Titles: Ronaldo 22, Messi 30

National Cups solely refers to a nation’s primary national cup competition, such as the FA Cup or Copa del Rey.

While Messi and Ronaldo have almost comparable prize collections, Messi has an advantage in league titles since he has won Ligue 1 twice with PSG and La Liga ten times with Barcelona. Ronaldo has seven league championships, but unlike Messi, he can say that he has won the league in England, Spain, and Italy, which strengthens some people’s argument that he should be considered the greatest of all time.

In the Champions League, Ronaldo has an advantage over Messi; in fact, his passion for the sport has earned him the nickname “Mr Champions League.” With Portugal, the Al-Nassr hero has also seen noteworthy success on the international front, winning the UEFA Nations League and the European Championship.

Early in his international career, Messi had a great deal of heartbreak with Argentina, as they went on four fruitless Copa America campaigns, three of which ended in elimination from the championship. However, he did not hold the Copa until 2021; he went on to win the 2022 Finalissima and the 2022 World Cup. Messi also owns an Olympic gold medal.

Lionel Messi vs. Cristiano Ronaldo: Individual awards

For the past ten or more years, the individual rivalry between Ronaldo and Messi has characterized modern football.
Messi’s sixth Ballon d’Or victory in 2019 put him ahead of Ronaldo in the standings, and his subsequent victories in 2021 and 2023 solidified his dominance in that category.

While Ronaldo has won more UEFA Player of the Year titles, Messi has earned more league Player of the Year honors. Messi also has a greater number of FIFA’s new ‘The Best’ trophies. Naturally, it has to be acknowledged that Ronaldo has been named Player of the Year in Italy, Spain, and England.

Messi is somewhat ahead of his adversary overall, having won the European Golden Shoe a record six times—two more than Ronaldo—but the fact that both have appeared on the FIFPro World XI fourteen times shows how closely contested the competition has been.

Despite the abundance of options to choose from Lionel Messi’s incredible goals and assist records, who is currently considered by many as one of football’s greatest players? Cristiano Ronaldo or Lionic dunker with exceptional form in European competitions.

Messi holds the top spot in Ballon d’Or awards and football championships, while Ronaldo stands out with his impressive performances across Europe.

So, where do you stand in this legendary debate? Is it Messi’s magical playmaking or Ronaldo’s relentless drive and goal-scoring that captures your admiration? Drop a comment below with your thoughts and let us know who you believe deserves the title of the greatest footballer of all time!

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