Cristiano Ronaldo vs Lionel Messi: Club goals
| Cristiano Ronaldo | Season | Lionel Messi |
|---|---|---|
| 5 | 2002-03 | – |
| 6 | 2003-04 | – |
| 9 | 2004-05 | 1 |
| 12 | 2005-06 | 8 |
| 23 | 2006-07 | 17 |
| 42 | 2007-08 | 16 |
| 26 | 2008-09 | 38 |
| 33 | 2009-10 | 47 |
| 53 | 2010-11 | 53 |
| 60 | 2011-12 | 73 |
| 55 | 2012-13 | 60 |
| 51 | 2013-14 | 41 |
| 61 | 2014-15 | 58 |
| 51 | 2015-16 | 41 |
| 42 | 2016-17 | 54 |
| 44 | 2017-18 | 45 |
| 28 | 2018-19 | 51 |
| 37 | 2019-20 | 31 |
| 36 | 2020-21 | 38 |
| 24 | 2021-22 | 11 |
| 700 | Total | 683 |
Ronaldo has scored more club goals than Messi, but only just and it should be noted that the Manchester United star benefits from having played two more seasons than his Argentine nemesis thus far.
Each of them has remarkably netted over 680 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.
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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.
Cristiano Ronaldo vs Lionel Messi: Titles
| Cristiano Ronaldo | Competition | Lionel Messi |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | World Cup | 0 |
| 1 | European Championship / Copa America | 1 |
| 1 | Nations League/Finalissima | 1 |
| 0 | Olympics | 1 |
| 7 | League titles | 11 |
| 5 | Champions League | 4 |
| 4 | Club World Cup | 3 |
| 4 | National Cups* | 7 |
| 22 | Total | 28 |
*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 very similar trophy hauls, but Messi edges things when it comes to league titles, having won La Liga 10 times with Barcelona. 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 Manchester United star has also enjoyed notable success on the international stage with Portugal, winning the European Championship and the UEFA Nations League.
Messi, on the other hand, has endured considerable heartache with Argentina, with four unsuccessful Copa America campaigns, three of which saw them lose in the final. He finally got his hands on the Copa in 2021, before going to win the 2022 Finalissima. While neither has won the World Cup, Messi has an Olympic gold medal.
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.
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