Who is better?(Ronaldo vs Messi)

Argentina beat Australia 2-1 to reach the 2022 FIFA World Cup quarter-finals – in what was a milestone occasion for Lionel Messi. The Argentina captain was playing the 1,000th match of his career, and he opened the scoring after 35 minutes in the round of 16 fixture. 

Messi’s goal against Australia was his ninth at a World Cup and first ever in a knockout game. He has moved above Diego Maradona and Guillermo Stabile into second place on Argentina’s all-time World Cup goalscorer list – and is now just one shy of equalling Gabriel Batistuta’s ten-goal tally. Messi’s 23 World Cup appearances is also a national team record. At international level, Messi has scored 94 goals in 169 games for Argentina. 

Cristiano Ronaldo had a mixed experience in the World Cup round of 16 with the Portugal captain named on the bench for the 6-1 win over Switzerland. The 37-year-old did, however, make it onto the pitch as his country eased into the last eight.  

Ronaldo has already made history at Qatar 2022 by becoming the first male player to score in five different World Cups. The all-time highest goalscorer in men’s international football with 118 in 195 games for Portugal, Ronaldo has eight goals across five World Cup tournaments. He is currently without a club after leaving Manchester United.  

National team captains Ronaldo and Messi have won the Euros with Portugal and Copa América with Argentina respectively, but never the FIFA World Cup. Could this finally be the year one of them achieves the ultimate prize in football? In the quarter-finals, Argentina face the Netherlands on Friday 9 December and Portugal take on Morocco on Saturday 10 December.   

Here we look at their statistics at the World Cup and their career records at club and international level. 

Messi and Ronaldo at the World Cup  

Messi’s World Cup stats  

• Games: 23 
• Goals: 9 
• Assists: 6 
• Minutes played: 1,984 

Messi’s World Cup tournament goals 

• 2006: 1  
• 2010: 0  
• 2014: 4  
• 2018: 1 
• 2022: 3 

Ronaldo’s World Cup stats  

• Games: 21 
• Goals: 8  
• Assists: 2 
• Minutes played: 1,723 
• Hat-tricks: 1 – against Spain in 2018  

Ronaldo’s World Cup tournament goals  

• 2006: 1 
• 2010: 1 
• 2014: 1 
• 2018: 4 
• 2022: 1 

• Player profiles: Messi and Ronaldo 

  With 12 Ballon d’Or awards, a host of personal records and many team trophies between them, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo will go down in history as two of the best footballers of all time. 

  In his career, Messi spent 21 years with FC Barcelona, but is now playing at French club Paris Saint-Germain. At Barça, he won multiple trophies, including Spain’s La Liga title ten times and the UEFA Champions League four times. He also won his seventh Ballon d’Or award in 2021. He played his 1,000th career match as Argentina beat Australia in the 2022 FIFA World Cup round of 16. 

  For Argentina, Messi has a record 169 caps, in which he has scored 94 goals. Argentina won the 2021 Copa América with Messi the top goalscorer in the competition. After winning a gold medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, the Copa América triumph in 2021 was his first in senior international football. South American champions Argentina also won the 2022 “Finalissima”, 3-0 against European champions Italy, with captain Messi named man-of-the-match at Wembley.  

  Portugal skipper Ronaldo has played his club football with Sporting Lisbon (2002-2003), Manchester United (2003-2009 and 2021-2022), Real Madrid (2009-2018) and Juventus (2018-2021). In the 2021 summer transfer window, he made a sensational return to United. However, his second spell is now over after he left Old Trafford with “immediate effect” ahead of the World Cup. His trophy collection includes five Champions League winners’ medals and league titles in England, Spain and Italy. In Qatar, he became the first male player to score in five different FIFA World Cups.   

  Five-time Ballon d’Or winner Ronaldo, who has scored more than 800 goals for club and country, is the top goalscorer in men’s international football with 118 for Portugal. He won the European Championship with his country in 2016. He is also the all-time top goalscorer for Real Madrid (450) and in the UEFA Champions League (140). 

  Lionel Messi player profile 

  • Age: 35 
  • Born: 24 June 1987 
  • Clubs: Paris Saint-Germain (2021-present); Barcelona (2004-2021) 
  • Nationality: Argentine  
  • Ballon d’Or wins: 7 wins (2021, 2019, 2015, 2012, 2011, 2010, 2009) 
  • The Best FIFA Men’s Player: 1 (2019) 
  • Champions League winners’ medals - 4: 2005–06, 2008–09, 2010–11, 2014–15 (all with Barcelona) 
  • Laureus World Sportsman of the Year award: 1 (2019, joint winner with Lewis Hamilton) 
  • Captained Argentina in their 2021 Copa América win 

  Cristiano Ronaldo player profile 

  • Age: 37 
  • Born: 5 February 1985 
  • Clubs: Manchester United (2021-2022 and 2003-2009); Juventus (2018-2021); Real Madrid (2009-2018)  Sporting Lisbon (2002-2003)  
  • Nationality: Portuguese  
  • Ballon d’Or wins: 5 wins (2017, 2016, 2014, 2013, 2008)  
  • The Best FIFA Men’s Player: 2 wins (2016 and 2017) 
  • Champions League winners’ medals - 5: 2007–08 with Manchester United; 2013–14, 2015–16, 2016–17 and 2017–18 with Real Madrid 
  • Captained Portugal in their Euro 2016 win 
  • Top goalscorer in men’s international football (118 goals)  
  • Top goalscorer in the UEFA Champions League (140 goals) 
  • First male player to score in five different FIFA World Cups 

  • All-time goals, career stats and red cards 

    All-time career (club and country, excluding club friendlies) 

    • Ronaldo: 819 goals and 234 assists in 1,144 appearances  
    • Messi: 789 goals and 348 assists in 1,000 appearances  
    • Hat-tricks: Ronaldo 60; Messi 56 
    • Career goal ratio: Ronaldo 0.72; Messi 0.79 
    • Penalties: Ronaldo 146; Messi 105 

    Club career (excluding friendlies) 

    • Ronaldo: 701 goals and 201 assists in 949 appearances 
    • Messi: 695 goals and 297 assists in 831 appearances 
    • Hat-tricks: Ronaldo 50; Messi 48 
    • Club goal ratio: Ronaldo 0.74; Messi 0.84 
    • Penalties: Ronaldo 129; Messi 84  

    International careers (friendly and competitive matches) 

    • Ronaldo for Portugal: 118 goals and 33 assists in 195 appearances 
    • Messi for Argentina: 94 goals and 51 assists in 169 appearances  
    • Hat-tricks: Ronaldo 10; Messi 8 
    • International goal ratio: Ronaldo 0.61; Messi 0.56 
    • Penalties: Ronaldo 17; Messi 21 

    Career red cards: Messi 3, Ronaldo 11 

    Messi has been sent off three times in his career – twice for Argentina and once for Barcelona. He saw red just 43 seconds into his Argentina debut after coming on as a sub against Hungary in 2005. He was also sent off against Chile in the 2019 Copa América. 

    Messi’s third career red card – and first at club level – came on 17 January 2021. In Barcelona’s 3-2 Spanish Super Cup final loss against Athletic Bilbao, Messi walked after VAR spotted him lashing out against Asier Villalibre. 

    Ronaldo has been sent off 11 times in his career – once for Juventus, six times for Real Madrid and four times for Manchester United. 

    International football 

    With 118 goals for Portugal, Cristiano Ronaldo leads the way as the all-time leading scorer in men’s international football. Lionel Messi is third on the list with 94 goals for Argentina.  

    International careers (friendly and competitive matches) 

    • Ronaldo for Portugal: 118 goals and 33 assists in 195 appearances 
    • Messi for Argentina: 94 goals and 51 assists in 169 appearances   
    • Hat-tricks: Ronaldo 10; Messi 8 
    • International goal ratio: Ronaldo 0.61; Messi 0.56 
    • Penalties: Ronaldo 17; Messi 21 

    Ronaldo’s World Cup goals: 8 

    • 2006: 1  
    • 2010: 1 
    • 2014: 1 
    • 2018: 4 
    • 2022: 1 

    Messi’s World Cup goals: 9 

    • 2006: 1  
    • 2010: 0 
    • 2014: 4 
    • 2018: 1 
    • 2022: 3 

    Ronaldo’s UEFA European Championship finals record 

    • Tournaments: 2004, 2008, 2012, 2016, 2020 
    • All-time finals record: 14 goals in 24 matches  
    • Euro 2004: two goals 
    • Euro 2008: one goal 
    • Euro 2012: three goals 
    • Euro 2016: three goals (Portugal won the tournament) 
    • Euro 2020: five goals (top scorer) 

    Messi’s Copa América finals record  

    • Tournaments: 2007, 2011, 2015, 2016, 2019, 2021 
    • All-time finals record: 13 goals in 34 matches 
    • 2007 Copa América: two goals  
    • 2011 Copa América: zero goals 
    • 2015 Copa América: one goal 
    • 2016 Copa América: Centenario: five goals 
    • 2019 Copa América: one goal 
    • 2021 Copa América: four goals (Argentina won the tournament) 

    • Hat-tricks 

      Cristiano Ronaldo has scored 60 hat-tricks in his illustrious career – the latest on 16 April 2022 in Manchester United’s 3-2 victory over Norwich City. The Portuguese star averages a hat-trick every 18.9 games played, according to MessivsRonaldo.app. He has scored 44 hat-tricks for Real Madrid, three for 

      In comparison, Ronaldo’s great rival Lionel Messi has scored 56 career hat-tricks – one every 17.7 games played. For Argentina, he has eight hat-tricks, the latest coming on 5 June when he scored all five goals in the 5-0 win over Estonia. 

      Both players have scored eight hat-tricks in the UEFA Champions League. 

      UEFA Champions League 

      Ronaldo vs. Messi in European football 

      • 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 Manchester United); 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 

      • Trophies and awards 

        Messi club honors 

        • Clubs: Paris Saint-Germain (2021-present); Barcelona (2004-2021) 
        • Spanish La Liga titles: 10 
        • Spanish Copa del Rey: 7 
        • Spanish Super cup: 7 
        • UEFA Champions League: 4 
        • UEFA Super Cup: 3 
        • FIFA Club World Cup: 3 
        • French Ligue 1 titles: 1  

        Messi international honors with Argentina 

        • 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: 162 

        Ronaldo club honors 

        • Clubs: Manchester United (2021-present); Juventus (2018-2021); Real Madrid (2009-2018)  Manchester United (2003-2009); 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 Super cup: 2 
        • UEFA Champions League: 5 (four with Real Madrid, one with Manchester United) 
        • UEFA Super Cup: 2 
        • FIFA Club World Cup: 4 (three with Real Madrid, one with Manchester United) 
        • Portugal Super Cup: 1 
        • Italian Supercoppa: 2 
        • Italian Serie A titles: 2 

        Ronaldo international honors with Portugal 

        • UEFA European Championship titles: 1 (2016) 
        • UEFA Nations League titles: 1 (2019) 
        • All-time leading scorer in men’s international football (115 goals) 
        • All-time leading scorer in European Championship history (14 goals in 25 tournament matches)  
        • Euro 2020 golden boot winner 

        Ronaldo vs. Messi: Ballon d’Or wins 

        • Ronaldo – 5 wins: 2017, 2016, 2014, 2013, 2008 
        • Messi – 7 wins: 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 Suárez)  
        • 2014-15: 48 goals 

    • , three for Juventus and ten for Portugal.