Cristiano Ronaldo vs Lionel Messi: all-time goals, career stats and awards

One of the all-time great male football players is Ronaldo, who plays club football for Al-Nassr in Saudi Arabia. However, the five-time Ballon d'Or winner is "in the twilight of his career" at age 39, according to The Sun. Portugal won their first two group matches despite the loss to Georgia, and as a result, they advanced to the knockout stages. On Monday, they will play Slovenia in the round of 16. Ronaldo leads the competition in scoring and has the potential to become the oldest goal scorer at a European Championship.

The most accomplished football player in history, Lionel Messi, is also making a comeback. This week, the captain—who turned 37 this week—led the reigning champions Argentina to a 1-0 victory over Chile in the Copa América, sending them to the round of 32. The Ballon d'Or, which is awarded to the player deemed the finest in the world, is expected to be fiercely fought this year, but Messi intends to keep it after sharing the prize with Luis Díaz of Colombia the previous year. Messi, who leads Inter Miami in Major League Soccer, set a record last year when he won his ninth Ballon d'Or. This was Ronaldo's first absence from the shortlist since 2003.

But Messi and Ronaldo have a unique rivalry fueled by their numerous trophies and personal achievements.

Player profile: Lionel Messi

Before moving to Paris Saint-Germain in 2021, Lionel Messi played his first 21 years of professional life with FC Barcelona, where he won the Uefa Champions League four times and the La Liga title 10 times in Spain. He joined the MLS team Inter Miami after playing for two seasons in France.

According to Fox Sports, the Argentine "hasn't had any problem adjusting to life" in Miami. In addition to scoring a goal or two, he also contributed to the team's 2023 MLS Leagues Cup victory after they defeated Nashville SC on penalties in the championship game.

Messi won the men's player of the year award at the 2022 Best FIFA Awards after leading Argentina to World Cup victory in Qatar.

After leading Argentina to World Cup glory in Qatar in 2022 Messi was named the men’s player of the year at the 2022 Best Fifa Awards. The forward has won the Fifa award three times and is also a record eight-time Ballon d’Or winner following his triumph in 2023.

Messi scored seven goals in Qatar 2022, two of which came against France in the championship match. In the round of 16, he participated in his 1,000th career match as Argentina defeated Australia.

Messi led Argentina to victory in the Copa América 2021, scoring the most goals overall. His first senior international football victory came in the Copa América in 2021, following a gold medal in the 2008 Beijing Olympics. 2022's "Finalissima" saw South American champions Argentina defeat European champions Italy 3-0 at Wembley Stadium, with captain Messi being selected man-of-the-match.

Messi is the only player in history to win the World Cup Golden Ball twice (2014 and 2022).

Full name: Lionel Andrés Messi

Nationality: Argentine

Age: 37

Born: 24 June 1987

Clubs: Inter Miami (2023-present); Paris Saint-Germain (2021-2023); Barcelona (2004-2021)

Ballon d’Or wins: 8 (2023, 2021, 2019, 2015, 2012, 2011, 2010, 2009)

The Best Fifa Men’s Player: 3 (2023, 2022, 2019)

Champions League winners’ medals – 4: 2014-15, 2010-11, 2008-09, 2005-06 (all with Barcelona)

Laureus World Sportsman of the Year award: 2 (2023; 2019 joint winner with Lewis Hamilton)

Captained Argentina in their 2021 Copa America win

Captained Argentina in their 2022 Fifa World Cup win

108 goals in 184 games for Argentina (both national records)

Player profile: Cristiano Ronaldo

Real Madrid (2009–2018), Juventus (2018–2021), Sporting Lisbon (2002–2003), Manchester United (2003–2009 and 2021–2022), and Al-Nassr in Saudi Arabia (2023–present) are the clubs where Portugal's superstar Cristiano Ronaldo has played club football.

The 39-year-old has league titles in England, Spain, and Italy in addition to five Champions League winners' medals. He became the first player to score in five different FIFA World Cups at Qatar 2022. The first player to score at five European Championships was Ronaldo as well.

five-time winner of the Ballon d'Or With 130 goals for Portugal, Ronaldo leads all men's international goal scorers with over 890 goals for club and country. He also holds the record for most international appearances with 209. Along with becoming the all-time leading goalscorer for Real Madrid (451) and the Champions League (141), he won the 2016 European Championship with Portugal.

Ronaldo earned his first prize in Saudi Arabia on August 12, 2023, when he scored twice in Al-Nassr's 2-1 Arab Club Champions Cup final triumph over Al-Hilal.

Full name: Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro

Nationality: Portuguese

Age: 39

Born: 5 February 1985

Clubs: Al-Nassr (2023-present); Manchester United (2021-22 and 2003-09); Juventus (2018-21); Real Madrid (2009-18); Sporting Lisbon (2002-03)

Ballon d’Or wins: 5 wins (2017, 2016, 2014, 2013, 2008)

The Best Fifa Men's Player: 2 (2017 and 2016)

Champions League winners’ medals – 5: 2017-18, 2016-17, 2015-16, 2013-14 with Real Madrid; 2007–08 with Man Utd

Captained Portugal in their Euro 2016 win

All-time top goalscorer in men’s international football (130 goals)

All-time record men’s international appearances (209)

Top goalscorer in the Uefa Champions League (141 goals)

First male player to score in five different Fifa World Cups

All-time goals, career statistics and red cards

All-time goals, career statistics and red cards

Ronaldo: 895 goals and 252 assists in 1,228 appearances

Messi: 821 goals and 374 assists in 1,066 appearances

Hat-tricks: Ronaldo 66; Messi 57

Career goal ratio: Ronaldo 0.73; Messi 0.79

Penalties: Ronaldo 164; Messi 109

All-time club careers (excluding friendlies)

Ronaldo: 765 goals and 216 assists in 1,019 appearances

Messi: 729 goals and 319 assists in 882 appearances

Hat tricks: Ronaldo 57; Messi 48

Club goal ratio: Ronaldo 0.75; Messi 0.83

Penalties: Ronaldo 144; Messi 85

International careers (friendly and competitive matches)

Argentina's top player, Lionel Messi, has the record for both goals scored and appearances made in 184 international matches with 108. Ronaldo owns the all-time men's records for both appearances and goals for Portugal with 130 goals in 209 games.

Ronaldo for Portugal: 209 appearances, 130 goals, and 36 assists

In 184 games, Messi has tallied 108 goals and 55 assists for Argentina.

Ronaldo (10 hat tricks); Messi (9

International goal differential: Messi 0.59; Ronaldo 0.62

Penalties: Messi 24; Ronaldo 20

Career red cards: Messi 3, Ronaldo 12

Throughout his career, Messi has been dismissed three times: twice for Barcelona and once for Argentina. He entered as a substitute against Hungary in 2005 and saw red in just 43 seconds of his Argentina debut. In the 2019 Copa América against Chile, he was also dismissed.

The first red card of Messi's club career was issued on January 17, 2021, making it his third overall. Messi left the game in Barcelona's 3-2 loss to Athletic Bilbao in the Spanish Super Cup final when video review revealed he had reacted angrily to Asier Villalibre.

In his 12-year career, Ronaldo has been dismissed six times from Real Madrid, four times from Manchester United, one for Juventus, and one for Al-Nassr. "Notably," Goal.com reported, "the Portuguese has shown himself to be somewhat prone to losing his cool in derby matches."

Trophies and awards

Messi club honours

Clubs: Inter Miami (2023-present); Paris Saint-Germain (2021-2023); Barcelona (2004-2021)

Spanish La Liga titles: 10

Spanish Copa del Rey: 7

Spanish Supercup: 8

Uefa Champions League: 4

Uefa Super Cup: 3

Fifa Club World Cup: 3

French Ligue 1 titles: 2

MLS Leagues Cup: 1

Messi international honours with Argentina

Fifa World Cup: 1 (2022)

Finalissima: 1 (2022)

2021 Copa América winner and Golden Boot winner

Fifa Under-20 World Cup: 1 (2005)

Olympic Gold Medal: 1 (2008)

Record number of appearances for Argentina: 184

Argentina all-time top goalscorer: 108 goals

Record number of World Cup appearances: 26

Ronaldo club honours

Clubs: Al-Nassr (2023-present); Manchester United (2021-2022 and 2003-2009); Juventus (2018-2021); Real Madrid (2009-2018); Sporting Lisbon (2002-2003)

English Premier League titles: 3

English FA Cup: 1

English Football League Cup: 2

Spanish La Liga titles: 2

Spanish Copa del Rey: 2

Spanish Supercup: 2

Uefa Champions League: 5 (four with Real Madrid, one with Man Utd)

Uefa Super Cup: 3

Fifa Club World Cup: 4 (three with Real Madrid, one with Man Utd)

Portugal Super Cup: 1

Italian Supercoppa: 2

Italian Serie A titles: 2

Arab Club Champions Cup: 1

Ronaldo international honours with Portugal

Uefa European Championship titles: 1 (2016)

Uefa Nations League titles: 1 (2019)

All-time leading scorer in men's international football (130 goals)

All-time men's international appearances (209)

All-time leading scorer in European Championship history (14 goals in 27 tournament matches)

Euro 2020 Golden Boot winner

Record number of European Championship tournaments: 6

Ronaldo vs. Messi: Ballon d’Or wins

Ronaldo – 5 wins: 2017, 2016, 2014, 2013, 2008

Messi – 8 wins: 2023, 2021, 2019, 2015, 2012, 2011, 2010, 2009

Messi’s European Golden Shoe awards

2009-10: 34 goals

2011-12: 50 goals

2012-13: 46 goals

2016-17: 37 goals

2017-18: 34 goals

2018-19: 36 goals

Ronaldo’s European Golden Shoe awards

2007-08: 31 goals

2010-11: 40 goals

2013-14: 31 goals (shared with Luis Suarez)

2014-15: 48 goals

Hat-tricks

The rate at which the duo score hat-tricks is "scarcely believable", said the MessivsRonaldo.app, with a "staggering" 123 between them. Ronaldo leads the head-to-head 66-57, but Messi has a "slight edge" in frequency. Ronaldo scores a hat-trick approximately "every 18.6 games", while Messi manages once every 18.7.

Of Ronaldo's 66 career hat-tricks, he scored 45 for Real Madrid, three for Manchester United, three for Juventus, and is currently on 10 for Portugal and six for Al-Nassr – the most recent coming last September when Al-Nassr thrashed Al-Wehda 6-0 in the Saudi Pro League.

The latest of Messi's 57 career hat-tricks was for Argentina in the 7-0 win over Curacao on 28 March 2023. He has nine hat-tricks for his country and previously scored 48 hat-tricks for Barcelona.

In league games, it's 36 for Messi and 45 for Ronaldo, while in the Champions League the two are tied on eight.

Fifa World Cup

It was the perfect end to Lionel Messi’s World Cup story. At Qatar 2022, the Argentina captain’s fifth and final World Cup, he achieved his lifelong dream of lifting the trophy for his country.

With two goals in the epic final against France, and a penalty in the shoot-out, Messi inspired Argentina to an unforgettable victory at the Lusail Stadium. He was also awarded the Golden Ball for the tournament's best player and only missed out on the Golden Boot after Kylian Mbappé's brilliant hat-trick saw the French striker finish with eight goals. Messi scored seven goals and also provided three assists in Qatar, and he moved above Brazil legend Pele on the World Cup all-time goalscorer list.

Messi’s brilliant tournament saw him break a host of records. He is now Argentina’s all-time highest goalscorer in World Cups with 13 goals. And he also has the highest number of appearances in men’s World Cup history, with 26.

Messi “not only emulated the deity of Argentinian football”, Diego Maradona, but he “finally plugged the burning gap on his CV”, winning the “one title that has eluded him”, said David Hytner in The Guardian. “In the process he gilded his claim to being recognised as the greatest player of them all.”

Cristiano Ronaldo also made history at Qatar 2022 as Portugal reached the quarter-finals, where they lost to Morocco 1-0. He became the first men’s player to score in five separate World Cup tournaments. His World Cup record stands at eight goals in 22 appearances.

Here we take a look at their World Cup stats, according to MessivsRonaldo.app:

Messi’s World Cup stats

Games: 26

Goals: 13

Assists: 8

Minutes played: 2,314

Messi's World Cup tournament goals: 13

2022: 7

2018: 1

2014: 4

2010: 0

2006: 1

Ronaldo's World Cup stats

Games: 22

Goals: 8

Assists: 2

Minutes played: 1,762

Hat-tricks: 1 – against Spain in 2018

Ronaldo's World Cup tournament goals: 8

2022: 1

2018: 4

2014: 1

2010: 1

2006: 1

Uefa Champions League

Ronaldo vs. Messi in European football

Statistics according to Uefa.com:

Champions League goals (group stage to final): Ronaldo 140 (21 for Man Utd; 105 for Real Madrid; 14 for Juventus); Messi 129 (120 for Barcelona; 9 for PSG)

Total Uefa competition goals (Champions League and Europa League): Ronaldo 144; Messi 132

Champions League hat-tricks: Ronaldo 8; Messi 8

All-time Champions League group stage goals: Ronaldo 73; Messi 80

Did you know? Ronaldo is the only player to score in three Uefa Champions League finals, and the first to score in 11 successive Champions League matches

Champions League head-to-head

Ronaldo Champions League stats: 140 goals, 40 assists, 183 appearances

Messi Champions League stats: 129 goals, 38 assists, 169 appearances

Ronaldo Champions League winners’ medals – 5: 2007-08 (with Man Utd); 2013-14, 2015-16, 2016-17, 2017-18 (with Real Madrid)

Messi Champions League winners’ medals – 4: 2005-06, 2008-09, 2010-11, 2014-15 (all with Barcelona)

Career hat-tricks in the Champions League: 8 each

What people say about Messi

Cristiano Ronaldo: “I really admire the career he has had so far, and, for his part, he has already said that he had trouble when I left the Spanish league because it is a rivalry that he appreciates. It is a good rivalry that exists in football, but this is no exception. Michael Jordan had rivals in basketball, Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost were great rivals in Formula One, the only common point between all the big rivalries in the sport is that they are healthy.”

Gigi Buffon: “When I met Messi I reached out and touched him. I needed to make sure he was human like the rest of us.”

Ronaldinho: “When I look back on my career, the most enjoyable thing was seeing the early years of Leo Messi. When he retires, football – not just Barcelona – should retire the No.10 shirt.”

Pep Guardiola: “He is the best player I have ever seen. The best thing about him is not what he does but how simple he makes everything look.He is not just the best player because he can dribble past three or four players, it is because he does it better than anyone in the world.”

Neymar: “I played with Messi, who is, for me, one of the greatest footballers of all time, and he is my idol in football.”

Diego Maradona: “I have seen the player who will inherit my place in Argentine football and his name is Messi. Messi is a genius.”

David Beckham: “He [Messi] is alone in his class as a player, it is impossible that there is another like him. He, like Cristiano Ronaldo, who is not at his level, are both above the rest.”

What people say about Ronaldo

Lionel Messi: “(Ronaldo) is always there scoring goals in all the games and taking part in his club and national side. He has been doing that for many years and whether he is at his peak or a bit below it makes no difference.”

Brazil legend Pele, after Ronaldo reached 770 official goals: “Life is a solo flight. Each makes his own journey. And what a beautiful journey you are having. I admire you a lot, I love watching you play and this is no secret to anyone. Congratulations on breaking my record of goals in official matches. My only regret is not being able to give you a hug today.”

George Best: “There have been a few players described as the new George Best over the years, but this is the first time it’s been a compliment to me.”

Zinedine Zidane: “When you play with Ronaldo on your team, you are already 1-0 up.”

Gerard Pique: “The best player I have ever played against has to be Ronaldo. You cannot afford to take your eyes off him.”

Paolo Di Canio: “Messi left the pitch scratching his head, he has no emotions. I prefer Cristiano Ronaldo. ‘Do you want me to sit on the bench against Man City?’ I go back to Portugal, then I return and score a hat-trick. I prefer the human who has a soul to the alien without emotions.”