There is no doubt that Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi
are two of the greatest football players ever, both gracing the footballing
world with their unique skills for nearly two decades. Their goalscoring
attributes accompanied by their tactical knowledge and professionalism has seen
this to be. Therefore, who is the G.O.A.T?
Club Goals.
Ronaldo has more club goals than Messi, however it should be
noted that the Manchester United star has two more seasons of experience than
his Argentine rival.
Over 690 club goals have been scored in total by each of
them in their respective careers, with the five seasons between 2009–10 and
2014–15 proving especially fruitful as they encouraged one another to reach new
heights.
While Ronaldo presently holds the advantage in terms of
total goals, Messi has the advantage in terms of season average (37.9 to 35),
having reached a high of 73 goals in 2011–12, however his average plummeted
after a dismal first season with PSG in 2021–22.
Ronaldo's highest season return was 61, which he achieved in
2014-15, and he surpassed the 50-goal mark every season for six years between
2010-11 and 2015-16.
Interestingly, while Ronaldo's seasonal totals have declined
somewhat in recent years - he failed to break the 30-goal mark in 2018-19
during his first season at Juventus - Messi's have remained consistent, though
the Argentine's rate slowed after joining PSG.
Club Assists.
The difference between Messi and Ronaldo in terms of assists
has grown significantly as their respective roles develop.
When selecting which player is the GOAT, the fact that Messi
not only scores goals but also assists many of them is a key factor. Ronaldo
also contributes his fair number of assists, but the gap in this area is
glaring.
When it comes to the figures Messi has a staggering 250 club
assists, whereas Ronaldo over hundred less, with 143 club assists to his name. These
numbers therefore completely favour Lionel Messi by a massive margin especially
when Messi has played 827 club games in comparison to Cristiano Ronaldo who has
made 945 appearances.
Champions League.
Ronaldo, who excelled in the competition with teams like
Manchester United and Real Madrid in particular, is the all-time highest scorer
in the Champions League.
Messi, who isn't far behind and has a higher goal-per-game
ratio than the Man United player, has a decent chance of passing him if he
maintains good form in the competition.
In addition, Ronaldo has surpassed Iker Casillas to hold the
record for the most appearances in the Champions League overall.
Cristiano Ronaldo has made 183 appearances in the Champions
League, scoring 140 goals. This includes some of the most iconic goals in football
history, one of which being his overhead kick against Juventus in the semi-finals
of the competition. Ronaldo holds a 0.77 goals per game ratio making him one of
the most prolific players in the Champions League. He has also won the competition
on 5 occasions, once with Manchester United and four times with Real Madrid.
Lional Messi on the other hand has made 158 appearances and
has scored 126 goals. Messi’s goals per game ratio is however better than that
of Cristianos, Lionel has a 0.8 goals per game ratio, therefore giving him a
slight edge on Ronaldo in this aspect. Messi has won the tournament 4 times,
all being with Barcelona.
International Stats.
Messi and Ronaldo have comparable international histories,
although Ronaldo boasts a larger number of victories, in part because his
senior Portugal career began two years earlier than Messi's with Argentina.
At Euro 2020, Ronaldo tied Ali Daei's record of 109 goals
for his country before breaking it with two goals against the Republic of
Ireland to become the all-time leading scorer for the international team.
Although Messi recently surpassed the great Gabriel
Batistuta as Argentina's all-time leading scorer, however he is well behind
Ronaldo in that regard.
When it comes to numbers Ronaldo has 191 appearances,
scoring 117 goals with a 0.61 goals per game ratio. Messi has 164 appearances,
scoring 90 goals with a 0.4 goals per game ratio.
Titles.
Both Messi and Ronaldo have impressive trophy collections,
although Messi has a slight advantage in league titles due to Barcelona's 10 La
Liga championships. Ronaldo has won seven league championships, but unlike
Messi, he can lay claim to have done it in three distinct nations (England,
Spain, and Italy). This, in some people's opinion, strengthens his case for the
GOAT title.
Because of his passion for the Champions League and his
nickname "Mr. Champions League," Ronaldo enjoys an advantage over
Messi in that league. The Manchester United player has also achieved a great
deal for Portugal on the international scene, winning the UEFA Nations League
and the European Championship.
On the other hand, Messi has experienced a great deal of
heartache with Argentina, who have had four disastrous Copa America campaigns,
three of which resulted in a loss in the final. Before going on to win the 2022
Finalissima, he ultimately won the Copa in 2021. Messi has an Olympic gold
medal, but neither have taken home the World Cup.
Individual Awards.
For the past decade and more, Ronaldo and Messi's rivalry
has been the defining aspect of modern football.
When Messi won his sixth Ballon d'Or in 2019, he overtook
Ronaldo in the race and solidified his position as the winner in that category
with his seventh in 2021.
Although Ronaldo has earned more UEFA Player of the Year
awards and FIFA's new "The Best" awards, Messi has received more
league Player of the Year awards. It goes without saying that Ronaldo has been
recognised as Player of the Year in England, Spain, and Italy.
The fact that both players have appeared on the FIFAPro
World XI 14 times shows how closely contested the race has been. Messi has won
the European Golden Boot a record six times, two more than Ronaldo, and is
narrowly ahead of his opponent overall.
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