Figures indicate that Messi is the better of the two football superstars.
Winning his seventh Ballon d’Or – Cristiano Ronaldo boasting only five – Lionel Messi now has a clear advance over the Madeira native. Only a few years away from retirement, the Portuguese star is not likely to win over his Argentinian counterpart.
Aside from the Ballon d’Or, the Rosario native seems to be the better player in other aspects of the game, too, especially in terms of club careers.
Indeed, Messi won 35 club titles, while Ronaldo boasts only 32. If one is to compare using 2 parameters only, the national championships and the Champions League, Messi won 10 La Liga titles and was crowned 4 times in the Champions league, whereas Ronaldo won 7 national titles (3 in the Premier League, 2 in La Liga, and 2 in the Serie A) and 5 Champions League titles.
Messi, the better attacker
In terms of offensive efficiency, the Argentinian is also the better one: he scored 676 goals in 798 games (0.85 goals per game), while Cristiano Ronaldo scored 686 times in 913 games (0.75 goals per game). When it comes to assists, the seven-time Ballon d’Or winner made 407 of these in 798 games (0.51 assists per game), while the former Sporting CP performed 300 assists in 913 fixtures (0.33 assists per game). All in all, Messi made 1083 key plays in 798 games (1.36 key plays per game), whereas Ronaldo made 1.08 of these per game.
Messi’s assist superiority is clear: his vision and pass accuracy, unlike any other in the history of football, creates gaps in the opponents’ defense that his teammates can take advantage of.
It becomes challenging to compare two great footballers if they have competed during two different eras (which is the case with Pelé and Maradona) or in two different championships. What makes it easier to compare the two greatest footballers of the last decade and a half, is the fact that, for 9 consecutive seasons (2009-2018) they have taken part in the same national and continental competitions. Additionally, they played with the two best clubs of the Spanish league, Real Madrid and F.C. Barcelona, and could both rely on excellent teammates. Throughout these nine years, the Argentinian’s performance was cleary the better one. Winning the national championship, made up of 38 games, is the best indicator of a player’s skill. Messi won 6 titles, while Ronaldo won only 2. However, the Portuguese player won 4 Champions League titles, whereas his Argentinian rival was crowned only twice. But being voted best player in La Liga, 7 times in 9 years of direct competition, tilts the balance in favour of the latter.
Moreover, the current club season and the ones to come are less promising for Ronaldo than they are for Messi. In fact, both players have changed clubs in between seasons, and gone in two different directions: Leo signed with Paris Saint-Germain, while Cristiano was recruited by Manchester United. PSG has already made a mark by ranking first in the French Ligue 1 and is now in the top 5 or 6 teams in the Champions League, but Manchester United ranks seventh in the Premier League, eleven points away from Manchester City on top.
Needless to say, the Red Devils are not very likely to win the cup.
Versatile as he is, the 34 year-old is any coach’s go-to player. La Pulga can indeed play in 5 different positions: striker, centre-forward, right winger, left winger, and attacking midfielder. As for the former Real Madrid star, he can only play in 3 positions: left winger, right winger, and striker.
La Pulga, a better world cup performer
Both players have won their respective continental championships, the Euro 2016 for Ronaldo and the Copa America 2021 for Messi. However, in order to determine who the better player is, one must assess their world cup performance and watch games in which both play against a same-level opponent. Once again, it’s the Argentinian who wins: he made it to the final of the 2014 world cup and was voted best player, while Ronaldo never got past the semi-final (in 2006). Although the latter scored a record 115 goals with his national team, and Messi only 80, one must remember that, as opposed to Europe, the teams’ skill levels in South America are very close. This disparity has allowed Ronaldo to increase his numbers against extremely weak teams.
Worthy of note is the fact that Messi will get one last chance to win the world cup.
Argentina has already qualified for the Qatar world cup that will be held in November-December 2022. Portugal, however, still haven’t secured a place. In fact, they still have to beat Turkey before facing off against Italy, probably, in the final knockout stage next March.