Messi Vs Ronaldo Stats Differences
The rivalry between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo has been one of the most talked-about topics in the world of professional football for years. Both players are considered two of the greatest to ever play, but there is no denying that they have very different playing styles. While both players have achieved incredible success throughout their careers, a comparison between their stats reveals some interesting differences. Football is not mathematics.
Ronaldo has more comprehensive attributes than Messi, but some attributes are more important than others. Messi is more skilled than Ronaldo. This allows him to bring other players into the game and play better. That is the absence of Ronaldo. Cristiano Ronaldo is fighting for glory, he is fast and can shoot anywhere, but his teamwork ability is very low compared to Messi.
But despite Messi’s impressive efficiency, Cristiano Ronaldo’s incredible number of attempts is an important skill in itself. He’s also good at shooting from long distances, and he’s also weak with his feet and head, so that’s enough to tie the game.
When it comes to goals scored, Ronaldo holds a slight edge over Messi with 819 career goals compared to 794 of his rival. However, when we look at assists provided by each player during league matches only – excluding international competitions or cup games – Messi takes an even bigger lead with 350 assists compared to just 234 from Ronaldo’s tally sheet. This shows that while both players can put away chances efficiently in front goal; it is clear that when given space on the pitch Lionel Messi has always been more creative and capable of setting up teammates better than his Portuguese counterpart can do so far in his career.
In terms of trophies won throughout their respective careers so far too; again this statistic reflects favorably upon Barcelona talisman Leo as he boasts 41 major honors compared with 34 from CR7’s cabinet respectively. It should be noted though however; these figures don’t include individual awards such as Ballon D’or titles which Messi has 7 and Ronaldo has 5 and 6 Golden boots for Messi while 4 for Ronaldo apiece proving how closely matched these two greats truly are!
The international career of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo is also a Hot topic. Both players have achieved remarkable success in their respective careers, but there are some notable differences between them when it comes to their stats at the international level. Ronaldo has scored more goals than Messi (118 vs 98) and while Messi has provided more assists (37 vs 24). In addition, he also holds records for most appearances in La Liga and UEFA Champions League matches as well as most hat-tricks scored. On the other hand, Ronaldo leads in terms of overall caps with 196 compared to Messi’s 172 appearances for his country. These distinctions demonstrate that both players have made significant contributions to their teams on an international stage throughout their illustrious careers.
In terms of COPA AMERICA/ EUROS Goals, Ronaldo lead by one goal only. Ronaldo has a total of 14 goals as compared to his rival, Messi, who has 13 goals.
Messi leads greatly in terms of World Cup goals (14) and assists (17) as compared with 8 goals and 6 assists of Ronaldo.
Messi has won more titles than Ronaldo, mostly at Barcelona. Messi is arguably the best Barcelona team member ever. Meanwhile, Ronaldo took his talent and skill to Manchester United, Real Madrid, and Juventus, finding success and winning trophies. Barcelona depends too much on Messi. While you might think that Messi’s ability to lead Barcelona suggests he is a better player, the opposite may be true. Messi, by far Barcelona‘s most important player, has more touches and more chances to pass or shoot than Ronaldo, yet he has only 3 more assists and goals in the league.
The two players have different styles of play. They are different in terms of their passing and dribbling ability, and they are very similar in that regard. However, they both have the ability to score goals. When it comes to penalty shootouts, Ronaldo’s stats are far superior to Messi’s, though perhaps not as much as some might think. The media thinks Messi is unreliable when it comes to penalties and Ronaldo is the ultimate ruthless penalty taker – the truth is somewhere in between.
Number of goals scored in the UEFA Champions League
| Season | Ronaldo | Messi |
| 2011/2012 | 10 | 14 |
| 2012/2013 | 12 | 8 |
| 2013/2014 | 17 | 8 |
| 2014/2015 | 10 | 10 |
| 2015/2016 | 16 | 6 |
| 2016/2017 | 12 | 11 |
| 2017/2018 | 15 | 6 |
| 2018/2019 | 6 | 12 |
Perhaps the answer to the question “Who is cooler?” lies in the players’ stats in La Liga for the period of time when Ronaldo had been playing for FC Real Madrid.
Number of goals scored in La Liga
| Season | Ronaldo | Messi |
| 2009/2010 | 26 | 34 |
| 2010/2011 | 40 | 31 |
| 2011/2012 | 46 | 50 |
| 2012/2013 | 34 | 46 |
| 2013/2014 | 31 | 28 |
| 2014/2015 | 48 | 43 |
| 2015/2016 | 35 | 26 |
| 2016/2017 | 25 | 37 |
| 2017/2018 | 26 | 34 |
Their performance in the Spanish Primera Division is almost identical: Cristiano Ronaldo had 311 goals, Lionel Messi – 329. It is worth taking into account the adaptation time of the Portuguese in Real Madrid and the experience of the Argentine in Spain.
Overall then despite being incredibly close rivals on many levels – there are still certain areas where one clearly outshines another statistically speaking! Whether you’re team #Messi or #Ronaldo let us know your thoughts below.
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