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Ronaldo has more career goals on both the domestic and international stages, while Messi has more assists in both departments, also Ronaldo has more experience as he played around 149 more games than Messi.

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Messi has more Ballon d’ors, Messi have one World Cup, Wich is the most import. Ronaldo, with 100 matches mora than Ronaldo, he have around 50 goals less than Cristiano Ronaldo, which means that in a future, Messi will end his career with more goals than Ronaldo, plus, the goals of Ronaldo are based more in his body, but Messi’s goals are base more in his talent, skills and dribbling, also Messi have a lot of assists and higher goal average.

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Ronaldo has a better physic than Messi, which will help him to score more goals.

According to FIFA and the physical stats of Ronaldo, “The incredible physic of Ronaldo helps him not only for women, but for his career in Football.”

This means, that all the status of Ronaldo, explain how he scores really difficult goals, he did the highest head goal in the history, also his physic helps him to do really good bicycle kick, which Messi can’t really do. His physic helps him to get really important trophies, like champions.

Evidence: According to Howzat.com, “Ronaldo has scored a record number of international goals and appearances”

Explanation: This means that Ronaldo has a significant number of goals that helped him to win important trophies individually and for his team, like 5 Champions.

In conclusion, Ronaldo’s physic and number of goals has a really important impact in his football carrer, for scoring goals and getting trophies.

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La FIFA, el hogar del fútbol en todo el mundo, te ofrece las últimas noticias sobre torneos, exclusivas de jugadores y contenido de partidos en directo, todo en un mismo lugar.

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Claim: Messi is much better than Ronaldo as he has better skills in football.

Evidence: According to Dr Ian Graham, the outgoing director of research at Liverpool FC “The difference is that Messi is also a world-class attacking midfielder,” he added. “The chances he creates for his teammates are an order of magnitude greater than Ronaldo. Messi does two jobs brilliantly. Ronaldo does one job brilliantly. That’s the difference.”

Explanation: This suggests that Messi is better than Ronaldo as Messi can do 2 jobs by himself and Ronaldo can only do 1 job.

Link: This evidence shows Messi is better than Ronaldo at playing football.

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The debate over who is better among the two - Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo - is a seemingly never-ending one.

Messi and Ronaldo have dominated the football scene for close to two decades and have both scored over 800 goals, while each has many individual and team accolades. Having a clear-cut winner between the two might seem a difficult task, but there now appears to be a definitive answer from a reputable source.

According to Dr Ian Graham, the outgoing director of research at Liverpool FC, a detailed analysis of the stats shows that Argentine great Messi is better.

"It's Messi," Graham was quoted as saying by The Guardian and The Times at the Cheltenham Science Festival.

"They are approximately the same for goal scoring. Ronaldo is slightly ahead but if you take out penalties, Messi is slightly ahead," he said. Ronaldo has 837 career goals compared to Messi's 806, but 152 of those from the Portuguese have been penalties while the Argentine's penalty tally is 108.

The main difference between the two, according to Dr Graham, is that Messi is also a top quality attacking midfielder.

"The difference is that Messi is also a world-class attacking midfielder," he added. "The chances he creates for his teammates are an order of magnitude greater than Ronaldo. Messi does two jobs brilliantly. Ronaldo does one job brilliantly. That's the difference."

It was hoped that the football world would get to see Messi and Ronaldo competing with each other once again - this time in Saudi Arabia.

Messi was widely tipped to be on his way to Saudi Pro League side Al Hilal with reports the contract was worth more than $400 million per year. If he had done so, Saudi football would have had another world class player in their fold after Ronaldo signed up for Al Nassr in a pioneering move, followed by Karim Benzema to Al Ittihad recently.

Now it has emerged Messi, who is a free agent after his exit from Paris Saint-Germain was confirmed, will ply his trade in Major League Soccer for Inter Miami, in a deal that includes a collaboration with brands such as Apple and Adidas.

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Lionel Messi better than Cristiano Ronaldo, according to data expert

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Liverpool's outgoing director of research Dr Graham says Argentine creates far more chances for teammates

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Messi is better than Ronaldo at football and at being a person.

According to Steemit.com , “  Ronaldo might be a goal scorer- but Messi adds the word “Perpetual” before it. Scoring 91 goals in a single season is a feat that Ronaldo can only dream of achieving- even in Real Madrid where players look up onto him of being the #9 and the #7 player of the team as well (#9=poacher, #7=talented / trickster). Messi has more free kick goals than Ronaldo! Messi used to play in the false 9 position back in Pep Guardiola days- which made him a playmaker and a poacher- both!“

The important thing to notice is that not a single player in world has barely touched Messi’s record that let alone scored more goals than Ronaldo in two less years of experience and overall time in the year since Ronaldo is older. An important thing to note is that Messi also has the most trophies out of any football player ever he has thirty eight major trophies.

According to quora.com , “ Messi never dives and doesn’t fake being injured by other players he always gets up. Messi is a very team player he is known for his assists and building up the play with his teammates. Ronaldo is very selfish. He keeps the ball to himself and has very little assists.”

This article shows that Messi is not selfish and tries to be fair. He is a respected player for this. He helps his teammates and builds up the attack with his whole team. In conclusion Messi is better than Ronaldo as a football player and as a person.

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Point: Having a good physic doesn’t help Ronaldo in his football carrer at all, also it doesn’t consider the importance of that in a career of years.

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Point: Having a good physic doesn’t help Ronaldo in his football carrer at all, also it doesn’t consider the importance of that in a career of years.

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Evidence: according to Goal.com, “While Ronaldo currently has more goals overall, Messi has the edge in the scoring department, with a higher season average (37.9 to 35), having hit a high of 73 goals in 2011-12, though his average dropped after a disappointing maiden campaign at PSG in 2021-22.”

Explanation: The evidence, supports how much important are Messi’s skills than Ronaldo’s physic. Messi average of goals demonstrates that he is better, even when his physic is worst. All of this helps Messi not also in his team, but in his individual career, winning more Ballon d'Or. Those who believe that Messi is better than Ronaldo clam that talent is more important (always that you know how to use it) is better than hard works. Ronaldo’s physic can in a certain way to help his individual carrer, but they don’t consider that it helps in specific moments.

Evidence: according to Allfootballapp.com., “Messi is more of a well-rounded footballer than Ronaldo as his playmaking skills are pretty much on par with his goalscoring ability. In 805 appearances across all competitions in his club career, Messi has picked up 315 assists. Meanwhile, Ronaldo has provided 231 assists in 929 appearances across all competitions”

Explanation: This evidence supports my claim of who is better because it demonstrates the contribution to his team doing a lot of assistances more than Ronaldo.

Link: In conclusion, Messi is better than Ronaldo cause his talent, and not physic, that doesn’t help too much in a football career and how Messi contributes more to his team than Ronaldo. Also, the evidence and opinion of the people disproves Ronaldo’s claim and evidence.

By Malek

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A serious discussion point on five-a-side pitches and barstools across the world, the issue of which player is the greatest of all time persists

Cristiano Ronaldo versus Lionel Messi - who is the GOAT? It is the biggest conundrum in football since the 'Diego Maradona or Pele?' debate.

The question of who is better between the Portuguese phenomenon and the empyrean Argentine has dominated the minds of football fans everywhere for the past decade and will persist into the future.

Club and national loyalties can cloud judgement on the matter, while personalities also play a part in how good a player is perceived to be, and most people know who they'd pick.

So who really is the greatest of all time? Never mind who you prefer, GOAL has taken a look at how the pair actually shape up head-to-head so you can be fully armed with facts in the eternal argument.

On this page

Cristiano Ronaldo vs Lionel Messi: Club goals

Ronaldo has scored more club goals than Messi, but only just and it should be noted that the Al-Nassr star benefits from having played two more seasons than his Argentine nemesis thus far.

Each of them has remarkably netted over 700 club goals in their career so far, with the five seasons between 2009-10 and 2014-15 proving particularly golden as they pushed each other to greater heights.

While Ronaldo currently has more goals overall, Messi has the edge in the scoring department, with a higher season average (37.9 to 35), having hit a high of 73 goals in 2011-12, though his average dropped after a disappointing maiden campaign at PSG in 2021-22.

Ronaldo's highest season return was 61, which he achieved in 2014-15, and he surpassed the 50-goal mark every season for six years between 2010-11 and 2015-16.

Interestingly, while Ronaldo's seasonal totals have declined somewhat in recent years - he failed to break the 30-goal mark in 2018-19 during his first season at Juventus - Messi's have remained consistent, though the Argentine's rate slowed after joining PSG.

Cristiano Ronaldo vs Lionel Messi: Club assists (Opta)

When it comes to assists, Messi is much superior to Ronaldo and that contrast has become increasingly stark as their respective roles evolve.

The fact that Messi creates so many goals as well as scoring them is a major consideration when deciding which player is the GOAT and, while Ronaldo chips in with his fair share, the difference in this particular realm is stark.

Cristiano Ronaldo vs Lionel Messi: Champions League stats
*As of Champions League games played in 2022-23.
Ronaldo is the all-time leading goalscorer in the Champions League, having shone in the competition with Manchester United and Real Madrid in particular.

However, Messi isn't far behind and actually has a fractionally better goal-per-game ratio, so there is a good chance that he could overtake the Man United man if he continues to sparkle in the competition .

Ronaldo also holds the record for most overall Champions League appearances, having overtaken Iker Casillas.

Cristiano Ronaldo vs Lionel Messi: World Cup stats

When it comes to World Cups, neither had won the competition until Argentina emerged victorious in 2022 following a string of sublime displays from Messi.

Portugal star Ronaldo had scored more goals and in fewer appearances heading into the 2022 World Cup, but Messi turned things around in Qatar as he led his country the way to the coveted trophy with an impressive seven goals and three assists.

The Inter Miami ace scored at every stage of the competition and capped his fine performances with a brace in the final against France, before netting once more from 12 yards as Argentina proved to be the best after spot kicks (3-3 AET).

The furthest Ronaldo has reached with Portugal was the Selecao's run to the semi-final in 2006, when they were beaten by France before losing the third-place play-off against Germany. Cristiano Ronaldo vs Lionel Messi: International stats

Ronaldo and Messi have fairly similar records at international level, though Ronaldo boasts greater numbers, partly because his senior Portugal career kicked off two years before Messi's with Argentina.

Ronaldo equalled Ali Daei's record of 109 international goals at Euro 2020 and then surpassed it with two goals against the Republic of Ireland, becoming the top international goalscorer of all time.

Messi is still a long way behind Ronaldo in that respect, though he is by some distance Argentina's top goal-scorer of all time, surpassing the great Gabriel Batistuta some years ago.

Cristiano Ronaldo vs Lionel Messi: Titles
*National Cups refers to the main national cup competition in a country only, e.g. the FA Cup, Copa del Rey etc.
Messi and Ronaldo have similar enough trophy hauls, but Messi edges things when it comes to league titles, having won La Liga 10 times with Barcelona and Ligue 1 twice with PSG. Ronaldo has seven league titles, but unlike Messi, he can claim to have won the league in three different countries (England, Spain and Italy) - something that increases his claim to the GOAT crown in the eyes of some.

Ronaldo has an edge over Messi in the Champions League, his love affair with the competition earning him the moniker 'Mr Champions League'. The Al-Nassr star has also enjoyed notable success on the international stage with Portugal, winning the European Championship and the UEFA Nations League.

Messi endured considerable heartache with Argentina early on in his international career, with four unsuccessful Copa America campaigns, three of which saw them lose in the final. But he finally got his hands on the Copa in 2021, before going to win the 2022 Finalissima and then the 2022 World Cup. Additionally, Messi has an Olympic gold medal.

Cristiano Ronaldo vs Lionel Messi: Individual awards

The individual battle between Ronaldo and Messi has been the defining feature of modern football for the past decade and more.

Messi went ahead of Ronaldo in the Ballon d'Or stakes when he won his sixth in 2019 and cemented his superior status in that field with his seventh in 2021 and eighth in 2023.

Messi also boasts more of FIFA's new 'The Best' awards while Ronaldo has been crowned UEFA Player of the Year on more occasions, but Messi has won more league Player of the Year accolades. Of course, it must be said that Ronaldo has won the Player of the Year award in England, Spain and Italy.

Messi has got his hands on the European Golden Shoe a record six times, which is two more than Ronaldo, and is marginally ahead of his rival overall, but the fact that both have been on the FIFPro World XI 14 times is an illustration of how closely fought the battle has been.

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Cristiano Ronaldo vs Lionel Messi: Who is better and is the GOAT in football? The stats head-to-head showdown | Goal.com United Arab Emirates

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Who really is the greatest footballer of all time? Here's how Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi shape up head-to-head statistically

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Counterarguments Messi vs Ronaldo by Roman

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Counterarguments Messi vs Ronaldo by Roman

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Ronaldo is better than Messi at football. Basemen states that Messi won more ballonors and a World Cup. The ballondors that Messi won were rigged and the World Cup was also rigged. According to sportbible.com “He feels as though Haaland's 52 goals in Manchester City's historic treble should have given him his first Ballon d'Or.

Morgan also claims that Ronaldo should have had two more Ballon d'Ors to take his tally to seven.

On X, he wrote: "Messi preposterously winning the Ballon d’Or this year is yet more proof that the whole ‘Golden Ball’ system is rigged.”

This proves that Basems claims are false and are backed up by weak evidence.

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Point: Lionel Messi is widely considered better than Cristiano Ronaldo due to his consistent performance, playmaking ability, and versatility on the field.

Evidence: Messi has won the Ballon d'Or, awarded to the best player in the world, more times than Ronaldo. As of 2024, Messi has won it seven times, while Ronaldo has won it five times.

Evidence: Messi's playmaking skills are unparalleled. He consistently ranks among the top players in terms of assists. His vision and ability to create scoring opportunities for his teammates set him apart from Ronaldo, who is primarily known for his goal-scoring prowess.

Explanation: Messi's overall contribution to the game extends beyond just scoring goals. His ability to dribble past multiple defenders, create chances, and provide key passes makes him a more complete player. While Ronaldo is an exceptional goal scorer, Messi's all-around game and his ability to influence matches in multiple ways make him the better player. This combination of scoring, assisting, and playmaking demonstrates why many consider Messi superior.

For more detailed comparisons and statistics, you can refer to [this analysis](https://www.goal.com/en/news/messi-vs-ronaldo-goals-stats-trophies--who-is-the-best/1h4xvsvjqfsu91nx8q0gzw4vhs).

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Claim: Some people may disagree that Ronaldo is better than Messi but there are many reasons why he is for example Ronaldo is the highest-ever goalscorer in the Champions League with 120 goals, while Messi is at second with 103 goals.

Evidence 1: Ronaldo is a much more marketable player than Messi. The primary reason behind this is his better footballing abilities and excellent style on and off the pitch. So the big companies see Ronaldo as a better option for marketing than Messi.

Explanation: This shows that Ronaldo has the ability to do ,ore skills in a match rather than Ronaldo .

Evidence 2: Ronaldo has proven himself in 4 different clubs in 4 different leagues. While Messi has only played for just two clubs in his career (Barcelona and PSG) and has found a comfort zone from which he is not willing to come out.

Explanation: this shows how Ronaldo tries to prove and become a better player rather than Messi

Conclusion: Ronaldo is forever gonna be better than Messi

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Claim: Ronaldo is better than Messi in football.

Evidence: Ronaldo has more goals than Messi Messi is more than 50 behind Ronaldo when it comes to total career goals (821 vs. 875). the two players had been level on 713 in terms of non-penalty goals. Ronaldo now has 714, including 168 with his left foot.

Explanation: Some people say that Messi can do 2 jobs at a time and Ronaldo can only do 1, While that may be true, what they don't consider is Ronaldo does his job brilliantly even more than Messi.

Link: This shows how Ronaldo's physic helps him get the edge on Messi in football games and makes him arguably better than Messi.

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Claim: Messi is a better football player than Ronaldo

Evidence 1: Ronaldo might score goals from each part of his body- but he can never pass a ball with the same accuracy as that of Leo Messi. His passing skills are absolutely spot on- and he has- in several occasions- nutmegged thousands of defenders by his passing ability

Explanation 1: This evidence shows us that Messi could help passing to other players in a better way to help to get more goals and accuracy in the game.

Evidence 2: Messi Dribbles Faster and Better: Good dribbling skills is a way to create space. Football is a game of space, and Messi is a player that creates quality space faster. Even Lionel at a tender age played with stars like Ronaldinho, and did excellently well. He is a product of doggedness.

Explanation : This could tell show us how fast and how good of a dribbling skill Messi was even from a very young age he sued to play football matches with the top players in the world this shows us as well how great and talented of a player he is.

conclusion : Messi is better than Ronaldo