Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are the two best soccer players in the world. They have dominated the sport for the last decade, becoming legends of the game. These facts are rarely disputed among soccer fans, but the debate as to which one is better still rages on.
The Argentinian and the Portuguese have combined to win the last 10 Ballon d’Or trophies, and it is almost certain that Ronaldo will take it yet again this year. They have won every award and trophy the sport has to offer – barring the World Cup – and they have revolutionized the sport, bringing hundreds of millions of fans together in heated debate.
So which one is better? Today, I’ll be trying to compare the two soccer legends. Let the battle between Messi and Ronaldo begin!
Messi comes from humble beginnings. Born in Rosario, Argentina, Messi took up soccer at a very young age. He first played for Newell’s, quickly becoming a star attacker; in fact, he scored over 500 goals for the club – a staggering amount for such a young player.
After being diagnosed with growth hormone deficiency, Messi’s future was in doubt. The local clubs were unable to cover the costs of treatment, and the Messi family turned to Barcelona. After arranging a trial with the club, Messi was offered an informal contract on a paper napkin.
Just like that, Messi’s fairy tale had begun. The Argentinian quickly became the best player on Barcelona’s youth side, and he continued to show off his excellent creative and finishing skills. Messi became the youngest player to ever play for the main squad (in an official competition), playing against Espanyol on October 16, 2004.
Messi has since become one of the best players in the world and the history of soccer. Barcelona gave him his start, and his story is one of the most spectacular and heartwarming.
Ronaldo also came from a humble background. Born in Sao Pedro, Portugal, Ronaldo first played for Andorinha and Nacional. When he was 12, Ronaldo signed a contract with Sporting, where he would stay until his transfer to the Red Devils. Cristiano didn’t have as exciting of a youth career as Messi, but he was still one of the most exciting prospects in the sport, and Sir Alex Ferguson soon took note.
Ronaldo was purchased by Manchester United, joining the team for the 2003-2004 season. Ronaldo would show flashes of brilliance, but it was not until 2007 that he truly broke out – guiding United to a Premier League title for the first time in four years. Cristiano would continue his success at United, winning the Champions League in 2008 to go along with his first Ballon D’Or. The Portuguese attacker would soon find himself at a different club; Real Madrid acquired Ronaldo in 2009, breaking the transfer fee record with a €94 million purchase.
Real Madrid would become Ronaldo’s home for the next nine years, and CR7 would quickly become a Los Blancos legend – guiding Real Madrid to one of the most impressive runs of dominance in club history. In his term at Madrid, Ronaldo won four Champions League trophies and four Ballon D’Or awards – nothing short of an unbelievable feat.
Ronaldo now finds himself at Juventus following a surprising transfer to the Bianconeri earlier this summer. Cristiano is no longer the little boy from Sao Pedro. He has become one of the greatest legends in the history of the sport, and his hunger and passion for the game lives on.
Messi has had an illustrious career during his time with the Blaugranes. In the 15 years he’s been with Barcelona, Leo has racked up plenty of honors – winning 33 trophies with the club. In that time frame, Messi has won La Liga 9 times – meaning that the Argentinian has won the league 60% of the times he’s been part of the senior club – a staggering figure that many often discount. He’s also won the Copa del Rey 6 times and the Supercopa 8 times – totaling 23 domestic trophies, an unprecedented level of success in La Liga.
Despite his domestic success, European and international competitions are by far the more esteemed and prestigious trophies, and Messi certainly has no shortage of those. He’s won the Champions League four times, the Super Cup thrice, and the FIFA Club World Cup thrice as well. While Barcelona haven’t enjoyed as much international success in recent years, they have consistently made deep runs, and they look to be the favorites to take home the trophy again this year.
This is by far the weakest part of Messi’s resume. Many consider an player’s international career to be the pinnacle of soccer. Pele won three World Cups with Brazil, Maradona guided his Argentina team to victory in 1978, and Zidane helped France defeat Brazil in 1998.
Despite a stellar Argentina squad filled with talent – Messi, Dybala, Higuain, Di Maria, Aguero, Fazio, Pastore, Otamendi – Leo has never won an international trophy. He’s come close multiple times, reaching three Copa America finals and losing a heartbreaker against Germany in the 2014 World Cup final. Time and time again, Messi has stood so close to victory, but Leo has failed each time – causing many to wonder if Messi can truly be called the greatest of all time.
Perhaps more concerning is his performance in international competitions. While Messi has always performed well for his national team, he seems to crumble under pressure; he has failed to score in all four of the finals he’s played in, even missing the first penalty against Chile in the 2016 Copa America finals. Messi’s disappointment has resonated with the fans, and Leo’s failures drove him to retire fromt the national team, returning in 2018 only for more World Cup disappointment.
Whether you believe international competitions are the crux of the GOAT debate, Messi has yet to make a true impact for Argentina, and it will most likely haunt him for the rest of his life.
Messi is arguably the most decorated soccer player of all time. He’s won the Ballon d’Or a record five times – the most prestigious individual accolade in all of soccer. In fact, Messi won the award four consecutive times from 2009 to 2012, another record-setting feat.
Messi also holds the record for the most Golden Shoe awards won – a title given to the top goalscorer in European league competitions. Leo holds five of them – a testament to his unmatched scoring prowess. He’s also been named FIFA World Player of the Year, won the Golden Ball (top scorer of the World Cup), and been given several other awards for his performances throughout the years.
Messi has won almost every individual award on the planet; Leo has certainly had no shortage of recognition throughout his career, and even at 31 years of age, he continues to fill up his trophy cabinet.
Ronaldo’s career in club competitions has been nothing short of unbelievable. During his time with Manchester United, Ronaldo won the Premier League three times – winning both the Champions League and the FIFA Club World Cup in 2008.
But where the Portuguese forward truly shined was in Madrid. In his time with Los Blancos, Ronaldo won a staggering four Champions League titles in the span of just five years, helping Real Madrid become the first club to win three straight trophies since Bayern in 1976.
In total, Ronaldo has won 25 domestic titles – 11 of which are international titles. Ronaldo steps it up on the big stages, and his ability to perform under the spotlight makes him one of the greatest club players of all time.
Unlike Messi, Ronaldo has won an international title – guiding Portugal to an unlikely victory in the 2016 European Championships. His performance for his national team has been stellar, and he’s become Portugal’s most capped player and the one to score the most goals with 55.
Portugal has never been a strong team; their victory in the European Championships is a testament to Ronaldo’s skill. Unlike Messi, Cristiano never had the benefit of being on a world-class team. But despite a seemingly lackluster side, Cristiano was still able to accomplish what Leo never did.
Ronaldo is a true leader for Portugal; after leaving the Euro finals against France in 2016 with an injury, he became a symbol for Portugal, a martyr in a sense. Ronaldo is Portugal’s best ever player, and he’s turned Portugal from a decent team into one of the best in the world.
Like Messi, Ronaldo has his own personal stash of accolades. His rise to dominance came later than Messi’s, but in recent years, it seems as though CR7 has usurped Messi, particularly in his performances in bigger competitions.
Cristiano has won five Ballon d’Or awards, tied with Messi for the most of all time, and he’ll likely make it six this year – having won the Champions League for the third straight year. That would make him the most decorated player of all time, the Ballon d’Or being by far the highest honor any player can receive.
Ronaldo has also won the Golden Shoe four times, and he’s been named onto the UEFA Team of the Year a staggering 11 times in a row – a testament to his prowess in European competitions. The Portuguese legend even won the Puskas award in 2009 for this unbelievable goal against Porto.
Ronaldo has become the most dominant player in the world in recent years, and the accolades will continue to pile up as he takes his talent to the Bianconeri.
Messi is the epitome of grace. With such a small physique, Messi can’t rely on strength or height. Instead, Messi dazzles fans with his quickness and skill; in many ways, he resembles Diego Maradona – dumbfounding opponents with every touch.
Messi is incredibly fast. He isn’t the quickest player in a full-on sprint, but with the ball at his feet, there’s no one that can match his speed. Messi’s touch is impeccable; he is the world’s best dribbler, and it’s not even close. With a low center of gravity, Leo weaves in between opposing defenders, a couple light touches ravaging the defense.
Messi’s dribbling is unbelievable, and it allows him to get into great positions to finish chances. Messi is a clinical finisher. His weak foot isn’t world-class, but he can certainly finish off it when he needs to. But his left foot is a thing of beauty. He can finish from anywhere off the pitch, and he prefers placement over power – guiding the ball into the corners with finesse.
Messi is arguably the best finisher in the world, but his ability to create might be even more impressive. Messi’s presence on the pitch alone draws defenders and opens up space for his teammates – making Barcelona incredibly difficult to defend against. Leo is an incredible passer; he has the vision of a midfielder, and the weight of his passes is practically perfect. Lobs, through balls, tiki taka. Messi can do it all.
Leo is more than an attacker; he is an attacking midfielder – a combination of Pirlo, Ronaldinho, and Ibrahimovic. Messi can create and finish; he is a jack of all trades, and his style of play is incredibly beautiful to watch in action.
In many ways, Ronaldo is the opposite of Messi. What Ronaldo lacks in elegance, he makes up for in strength. Ronaldo is a powerful player, a ruthless attacker who gets the job done no matter what.
Unlike the Argentinian, Ronaldo relies heavily on his physique. Cristiano is an incredible physical specimen; standing tall at 6’ 2”, Ronaldo muscles opposing defenders off the ball, and his proficiency in aerial duels is second to none. He is also among the fastest players in the world. In a full-out sprint, there are few players who can beat Cristiano.
While Ronaldo is very gifted physically, he isn’t the best dribbler; he does not possess the same touch or deftness with the ball as Messi. But Cristiano is still a very skillful player; he can get past defenders, and his famed Ronaldo chop is a favorite of FIFA players all over the world. The Portuguese player is not a creator either; he prefers to finish rather than build. However, he can definitely hold up the ball in the front third of the pitch, creating valuable time and space for his team.
Where Ronaldo truly shines is in his goal scoring ability. Simply put, Ronaldo is the greatest goalscorer of the generation. Perhaps of all time. Cristiano is ruthless in front of goal, a natural born finisher capable of scoring from any position. Ronaldo’s weak foot is arguably the best in the world; his left foot is better than many player’s strong foot. He is a powerful finisher and incredibly athletic – meaning he can score some incredibly acrobatic goals from outrageous positions.
But Ronaldo’s finishing ability is not what makes him such a great goalscorer. Rather, his positioning is what enables him to score as often as he does. Ronaldo is the definition of a poacher; he is always in the right position, ready to score off any balls that come into the box.
Ronaldo is not as graceful as Messi. Instead, he is efficient – the best goalscorer in the history of the sport. Ronaldo is smart, powerful, and clinical, and he’s become the ideal attacker in today’s game.
In 773 appearances, Messi has contributed a total of 625 goals and 256 assists. This means that Leo has averaged either an assist or a goal in every match he’s played, a statistic that is incredibly hard to believe.
In the last two years, Messi has scored 88 goals and assisted in 25 for Barcelona. In fact, according to WhoScored, Messi was the best player in La Liga last year, averaging an 8.68 rating for the Blaugranes – outscoring the second highest player (Ronaldo) by close to a full point.
But Messi’s best year came in 2011. Leo scored an unprecedented 79 goals for Barcelona, 50 coming from the domestic campaign alone – shattering the record for the most goals in a club season. Messi also holds the highest goal scoring ratio in the Champions League (including players who have scored over 50 goals.)
Simply put, Messi’s stats are unbelievable. He has made a tremendous impact for Barcelona on the score sheet, but his influence reaches far beyond goals and assists; Messi has revolutionized Barca and brought them back to the heights of world football; Leo is Barcelona’s best ever player, and it’s not very close.
In the 922 appearances Ronaldo has made for club and country, he’s scored 661 times and assisted another 210 goals – just shy of averaging a goal/assist per game.
While Ronaldo may not have the same goalscoring record as Messi, he beats the Argentinian when it comes to European competitions. Cristiano is the Champions League’s top goalscorer – having netted 120 goals in Europe’s most prestigious competition.
Ronaldo is also the most prolific scorer in European history – having scored more goals for his national team than any other player in Europe. Perhaps even more interestingly, Ronaldo is the only player to have scored in every minute of a game (1st-90th), an incredibly interesting and difficult achievement to garner.
Ronaldo does not have the same stats as Messi nor is he as efficient, but his stats reveal something equally as impressive; Ronaldo is the best player in the world when the trophy is one the line. He almost never falters in the biggest competitions, and it’s just one of the reasons he’s enjoyed so much success in his career.
Both Messi and Ronaldo have been incredibly reliable for soccer bettors. They have rarely disappointed, and their ability to single-handedly turn the game around means you can never count them out.
This year, Ronaldo’s transfer to Juventus has opened up some incredibly interesting betting prospects. Barcelona and Juventus are given 6.50 and 8.00 odds to win the Champions League respectively, some great odds for two stellar teams.
If you were to bet an equal amount on both teams, you’d be guaranteed to triple your money should one of the two win. With Messi and Ronaldo having won the last five Champions League titles, those odds present incredible value; both players have great teams to back them up, and they know exactly what it takes to bring home the trophy.
Both players are among the greatest ever. They’ve accomplished almost everything there is to accomplish in the sport. They’ve dominated the European scene, and they both find themselves in the conversation for the greatest player of all time.
They each play their own distinctive style of soccer; Messi dazzles audiences with his grace and finesse while Ronaldo leaves the crowd awestruck with his outrageous finishes and blistering pace. In short, they are polar opposites – the Federer and Nadal of soccer – two legends duking it out for fans to behold. Ronaldo is the greatest finisher of all time; no one has ever been able to score as often and as consistently as Cristiano. He is the best poacher the sport has ever seen, and his ability to perform when it matters most is what makes him such an invaluable asset.
However, I think Messi has to be considered the better player. The way he plays, his incredible elegance and control over the ball, truly make him a sight to watch. Messi is the epitome of class; when viewed from a distance, he does not seem like your average footballer let alone one of the greatest ever. But Messi may very well be the most complete player in history; he can do it all. He is lethal in attack but is just as effective of a creator. Messi has revolutionized soccer, and the boy from Rosario has found himself among the greats.
Whichever side you may take, you have to appreciate what we are witnessing right now. Messi and Ronaldo are two unbelievable players who will undoubtedly go down in soccer history; put down the pitchforks and end the debate. Just enjoy watching soccer at its finest.
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