Messi vs Ronaldo

The battle between the greats.

Even though there are many contenders in soccer, there is only one winner.

Barcelona or Real Madrid? Messi or Ronaldo? Two of the greatest soccer players of all time. Whenever I go to a soccer camp, at the end of the week, there is always a battle between the Messi and the Ronaldo fans. Even my best friends became my worst enemies for an hour. Even though there are many contenders in soccer, there is only one winner. I am here to settle things and tell you who is superior.

Cristiano Ronaldo was born on February 5, 1985 in Funchal, Portugal. Mostly known for playing for Real Madrid, Ronaldo proved himself with 5 teams. He won and lost for Sporting CP, Manchester United, Real Madrid, Juventus, and Al Nassr and also competes with the Portuguese national soccer team for international competitions. Known for his goalscoring and his physicality, Ronaldo is the leading goalscorer for the Portuguese national team. As of June 9th, 2025, Ronaldo has played in 1,281 career games since 2002. He has scored 938 goals during those many games. Ronaldo also has 257 assists so far during his career. In total, Ronaldo has 1,195 total points in goals scored and assists. Ronaldo has won 34 trophies and has 5 Ballon d’Or wins, which is the second most of any player, which is just behind Messi.

Meanwhile, Lionel Messi was born on June 24, 1987 in Rosario, Argentina. He played for 4 teams, mostly known for competing for Barcelona. Messi earned his title with Newell’s Old Boys, Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain, and Inter Miami, also contending for the Argentine national team for International matches. He is known for his playmaking and his ability to handle the ball but also is great at scoring. As of June 9th, 2025, Messi has taken part in 1114 matches since 2004. He scored 874 goals and has 386 assists so far in his career. In total, Messi has had 1260 total points in goals scored and assists. Messi has won 46 trophies including 1 world cup and has won the Ballon d’Or 8 times in his career, which is most by a single player, and was the first ever player to win it with 3 different clubs. 

Even though Ronaldo has more goals and games played than Messi, Messi still has more points than Ronaldo, more assists, and more trophies. He has also been named player of the year 3 more times than Ronaldo. If you would want someone who is physical and scores a lot, you would want to have Ronaldo on your team. If you want someone who makes plays happen, you would want Messi on your team. 

Remember that if you like Ronaldo or if you like Messi, that’s your opinion and not mine. But after looking at all of the stats and comparing the two, Messi came out on top today.