In the upcoming Riyash Season Cup 2024 pre-season friendly, Lionel Messi and Inter Miami are set to square off against Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al-Nassr. This marks their first encounter since both football legends made the move from Europe to the United States of America and Saudi Arabia, respectively. Without a doubt, the encounter is bound to reignite the ongoing “Messi vs Ronaldo” debate in the public sphere.
Interestingly, for certain fans, the discussion never truly subsided, persisting even after both players openly recognized the conclusion of its era when Ronaldo departed Europe for Saudi Arabia. As the football greats looks to renew their rivaly let us take a look at their records over the years.
These players have graced opposite ends of the pitch donning various jerseys. Lionel Messi has showcased his talent with Barcelona, Argentina, and Paris Saint-Germain, while Ronaldo has sported the shirts of Manchester United, Real Madrid, Portugal, Juventus, and even a “Riyadh XI” in January.
Al Nassr vs Inter Miam to set new records:
Messi vs Ronaldo W-D-L record in all competition
- La Liga: Messi — 10W-4D-4L
- Champions League: Even — 2W-2D-2L
- Copa del Rey: Ronaldo — 2W-2D-1L
- Spanish Super Cup: Even — 2W-1D-2L
- Friendlies: Messi — 2W-1L
- All comps: Messi — 17W-9D-11L
Messi vs Ronaldo goals in all competition
- La Liga: Messi 12 goals, Ronaldo 9
- Champions League: Messi 3, Ronaldo 2
- Copa del Rey: Ronaldo 5 goals, Messi 0
- Spanish Super Cup: Messi 6 goals, Ronaldo 4
- Friendlies: Ronaldo 3 goals, Messi 2
- All comps: Even — 23 goals
Messi vs Ronaldo: National team stats
Cristiano Ronaldo stats with Portugal: 205 caps, 128 goals, 46 assists
Lionel Messi stats with Argentina: 180 caps, 106 goals, 56 assists
Messi vs Ronaldo: World Cup history
Cristiano Ronaldo at the World Cup
- 2006 (fourth place): Six games, one goal
- 2010 (Round of 16): Four games, one goal, one assist
- 2014 (group stage): Three games, one goal, one assist
- 2018 (Round of 16): Four games, four goals
- 2022 (Quarterfinals): Five games, one goal
- Total: 22 games, eight goals, two assists
Lionel Messi at the World Cup:
- 2006 (Quarterfinals): Three games, one goal, one assist
- 2010 (Quarterfinals): Five games, one assist
- 2014 (Final loss): Seven games, four goals, one assist
- 2018 (Round of 16): Four games, one goal, two assists
- 2022 (Champion): Seven games, seven goals, three assists
- Total: 26 games, 13 goals, eight assists
Messi vs Ronaldo: Club stats
Lionel Messi club stats
Barcelona: 778 games, 672 goals, 303 assists
Paris Saint-Germain: 75 games, 32 goals, 35 assists
Inter Miami: 14 games, 11 goals, 5 assists
Total: 867 games, 715 goals, 343 assists
Cristiano Ronaldo club stats
Sporting Lisbon: 31 games, 5 goals, 6 assists
Manchester United: 346 games, 145 goals, 64 assists
Real Madrid: 438 games, 450 goals, 131 assists
Juventus: 134 games, 101 goals, 22 assists
Al-Nassr: 41 games, 34 goals, 12 assists
Total: 990 games, 735 goals, 235 assists
Messi vs Ronaldo: Trophies
Cristiano Ronaldo team honors
- Domestic league: Three Premier League, Two La Liga, Two Serie A
- UEFA Champions League: Five (Four with Real Madrid, one Man United)
- Club World Cups: Four (Three with Real Madrid, one with Man United)
- Domestic cups: Nine — One FA Cup, Two League Cups, Two Copas del Rey, Two Supercopa de Espana, One Coppa Italia, One Arab Club Champions Cup
- International cups: Two UEFA Super Cups
- Portugal: EURO 2016, UEFA Nations League 2018-19
Lionel Messi team honors
- Domestic league: Twelve (10 La Liga, Two Ligue 1)
- UEFA Champions League: Four
- Domestic cups: Seven Copas del Rey, One Trophee des Champions, Seven Supercopas de Espana
- International cups: One Leagues Cup, Three UEFA Super Cups, One Leagues Cup
- Argentina: 2022 World Cup, 2021 Copa America
- Argentina U23: Olympic gold
Lionel Messi individual honors
- Eight Ballons d’Or
- Two FIFA The Best Men’s Player
- Six European Golden Shoes
- Two World Cup Golden Balls
- Three UEFA Men’s Player of the Year awards
- Six La Liga Best Player awards
Cristiano Ronaldo individual honors
- Five Ballons d’Or
- Two FIFA The Best Men’s Player
- Four European Golden Shoes
- Four UEFA Men’s Player of the Year awards
- One La Liga Best Player award
- Two Premier League Player of the Season awards
- Two Serie A Footballer of the Year awards
Editors pick
