Messi vs Cristiano Ronaldo matches: statistics, records and more

The rivalry between Lionel Messi: current world champion, and Cristiano Ronaldo: three-time UEFA Champions League champion and EURO champion with the Portuguese National Team, he will go down in history as one of the most important, not only in the contemporary era, but in the history of football.

This increased, of course, when the Portuguese footballer signed for Real Madrid, thus becoming the direct rival of the Argentine star: Lionel Messi, who had been captivating locals and strangers for some years with Barcelona FC, at a time when the Catalan squad set the standard in football worldwide.

In the year 2024, many fans continue the debate of who was better, Diego Armando Maradona or Pelé. And in the middle of the discussion, someone makes the argument that it is impossible to compare them, since both played in different eras, while others sigh and say: can you imagine what it would have been like if the 'Pelusa' and the 'King' had shone at the same time? Same time? Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi allowed us.

Today Cristiano Ronaldo plays as a left winger or forward for Al-Nassr FC, of ​​the Saudi Professional League, while Lionel Messi shines week after week with Inter Miami, of the MLS. Having them compete against each other again seems complicated, which is why those of us who fully enjoyed this competition feel extremely grateful for the round.

The record dictates that they coincided on thirty-six occasions. The 'Flea' Messi won twenty-two of these matches, scored sixteen goals and contributed eleven assists, while Cristiano Ronaldo won only eleven of these matches, scored twenty-one goals and contributed with just one assist.

If we stick only to the data, which is cold and forceful, we could conclude that Lionel Messi is better than Cristiano Ronaldo. However, football is more than just numbers and results, so those fans who prefer it to the Portuguese are not that far from the truth either.