Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi compared

Cristiano Ronaldo or Lionel Messi? Highlights, statistics, facts and trophy hauls to help you decide which player is superior

By Chris Hammer

Football

Mon July 08, 2019 · 5y ago

Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi both enjoyed yet another a goal and trophy-laden season to further inject life into the debate that never ceases.

Scroll down for goal and trophy stats
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Two of the greatest players of all time had fans purring the world over throughout the campaign with fantastic goals and more milestone-reaching feats that continue to defy belief.

Lionel Messi

Messi moved past 600 career Barcelona goals (currently 603 in 687 games) towards the end of a season which had also seen him net his 400th in La Liga and, more importantly, win a club-record 10th Spanish title.

The Barca talisman and captain ended the season with 51 club goals - the sixth time he's reached a half century in a single campaign and 10th in a row he's managed 40 or more - while he was top scorer in La Liga for a joint record sixth time with 36 strikes.

Messi also bagged four hat-tricks to take his career tally of trebles to 51, and the third of these which brought up 50 - as well as his 650th career goal - against with Sevilla in February was pretty special.

A month later he was on fire again against Real Betis in March with the 51st (click here to watch all three), and you have to say his hat-trick goal was one of his very, very best.

You could argue he bettered that with his 600th Barcelona goal, courtesy of this absolutely astonishing free-kick against Liverpool even if it did end up being in vain after 'that' Anfield comeback.

Messi's brace in Barcelona's 2-2 draw with Eibar saw him finish as La Liga's top scorer for a sixth time, while also taking his incredible tally of 50-goal seasons to six.

He did admit to still being haunted by the defeat to Liverpool prior to their Copa del Rey final defeat to Valencia but there's no doubt he created many moments to make us all feel like this...

Messi's season ended in international disappointment when his bid to win a first major trophy with Argentina was thwarted by Brazil in the Copa America semi-finals.

He was then sent off for the second time in his career - 14 years after his first while on his Argentina debut - during the third-fourth play-off victory over Chile.

2018/19 Club Stats

50 games, 51 goals, 19 assists, 50 matches, 5 penalties, 4 hat-tricks, 1.02 goal ratio
Trophies: La Liga

Cristiano Ronaldo

Cristiano Ronaldo began the season in new surroundings after completing a £90million move to Juventus from Real Madrid, where he'd enjoyed a legendary nine-season stay.

He didn't take long to pass more historic milestones, becoming the first player to score 400 career goals in Europe's top five leagues in October - although three months later Lionel Messi achieved the same feat albeit all of his coming in La Liga.

The spectacular strikes were never far away either, even if he wasn't quite as prolific in Serie A as he had been in La Liga.

Domestically, Ronaldo was on course to win Serie A title at the first time of asking but he was also intent on lifting his sixth Champions League trophy, so it was all looking good when his eighth hat-trick in the tournament's history - and the 52nd of his career - against Atletico Madrid moved them into the quarter-finals.

A shock exit to Ajax followed but he soon brushed off that disappointment to win a league title in a third different major European nation.

A week later, he pipped Messi in the race to reach 600 club goals first and although he played more games, as you can see from the video below, he was deployed as a winger during his first few seasons at Sporting Lisbon and Manchester United.

Ronaldo was not done yet, however, as a sparkling 53rd career hat-trick sent Portugal into the Nations League final just three years after he helped them lift the European Championship.

The captain did not find the net against the Netherlands but that did not stop him getting his hands on another trophy as his incredible career for club and country reached another pinnacle.

2018/19 Club Stats

43 games, 28 goals, 10 assists, 6 penalties, 1 hat-trick, 0.65 goal ratio
Trophies: Serie A

Messi or Ronaldo: Who is the best?

So who do you think is the best player to watch, the most influential talisman, the greatest 'winner' and the most formidable opponent?

Here's the stats to help you decide...

Cristiano Ronaldo's goals record including internationals

Games: 961 (804 club)
Goals: 689 (601 club)
Assists: 218 (190 club)
Hat-Tricks: 53 (46 club)
Penalties: Ronaldo 110 (102 club)

Cristiano Ronaldo's club goals record

Games: 804
Goals: 601
League: 419
Champions League: 127
Other cups: 55
Hat-Tricks: 46
Penalties: 102
Sporting Lisbon: 5 (31 games)
Manchester United: 118 (292 games)
Real Madrid: 450 (438 games)
Juventus: 28 (43 games)
Assists: 190

Watch the video below for a season-by-season tally of club goals...

Cristiano Ronaldo's club honours

Premier League titles: 3
FA Cup: 1
English Football League Cup: 2
Community Shield: 1
La Liga titles: 2
Copa del Rey: 2
Spanish Supercup: 2
Serie A title: 1
Supercoppa Italiana: 1
Champions League: 5
UEFA Super Cup: 2
FIFA Club World Cup: 4

Cristiano Ronaldo's international honours

European Championship: 1 (2016)
Nations League: 1 (2019)

Cristiano Ronaldo major awards

Ballon d’Or: 5 (2017, 2016, 2014, 2013, 2008)
Golden Shoe: 4 (2007-08, 2010-11, 2013-14 shared with Luis Suarez, 2014-15 - 48)

Lionel Messi's goals record including internationals

Games: 822 (687 club)
Goals: 671 (603 club)
Assists: 271 (231 club)
Hat-Tricks: 51 (45 club)
Penalties: 84 (70 club)

Lionel Messi's club goals record

Games: 687
Goals: 603
League: 419
Champions League: 112
Other cups: 72
Hat-Tricks: 45
Penalties: 70
Assists: 231