who is better messi or ronaldo???

International Goals (Transfermarkt)

 

Having scored nearly twice as many competitive international goals as Messi, Ronaldo, on paper, stands out as the superior scorer for his country. In fact, he holds the title of the highest international goalscorer in soccer history.

However, a closer look at the nature of their international goals reveals a more nuanced story.

While Ronaldo has racked up significantly more goals for Portugal, Messi has excelled when it truly matters. The Argentine has scored 13 World Cup goals compared to Ronaldo’s eight, and 11 of those came in the knockout rounds of major tournaments, far surpassing Ronaldo’s three.

Crucially, Messi has also delivered in the biggest moments, scoring twice in the 2022 World Cup final as Argentina triumphed over France––a feat Ronaldo has yet to achieve in a major tournament final.

Messi vs. Ronaldo: Career Titles

 

A player’s number of career titles doesn’t always reflect their greatness. Take former Manchester City reserve goalkeeper, Scott Carson, for instance. Despite only-ever playing 107 minutes in the Champions League, he has two winner’s medals.

For Messi and Ronaldo, however, their trophy hauls are a true testament to their greatness, as both have consistently had a significant impact on their teams.

While both players have incredible trophy cabinets, it’s Messi’s that is fuller.

At the club level, Messi has won six more league titles and three more national honors than Ronaldo. Ronaldo holds the edge in the Champions League, though, with five titles to Messi’s four.

For country, Messi again shades Ronaldo. The Argentine faced significant heartbreak with La Albiceleste early in his international career, enduring three defeats in the final of the Copa América. After finally claiming the title in 2021, however, victories in both the Finalissima and, of course, the World Cup swiftly followed.

Ronaldo, on the other hand, led Portugal to victory at the 2016 European Championships and the 2019 and 2025 Nations League, but has never advanced beyond the World Cup quarterfinals.

Messi vs. Ronaldo: Individual Honors

 

Messi and Ronaldo’s Ballon d’Or rivalry has been the defining narrative of modern soccer for almost two decades.

Ronaldo won it first in 2008 in his final season at Manchester United, before Messi then won it four times on the trot between 2009 and 2012. Refusing to be outdone, Ronaldo then bounced back, capturing the honor four times over the next five years, with Messi taking the other.

Since then, however, Ronaldo has not added to his tally, while Messi has secured the Ballon d’Or three more times––cementing the Argentine’s legacy as soccer’s greatest-ever, or at least most decorated, player.

Moreover, Messi has outperformed Ronaldo in nearly every individual award category, including domestic Player of the Year honors, FIFA The Best awards, European Golden Shoes and the prestigious World Cup Golden Ball.

What Others Say About Lionel Messi vs. Cristiano Ronaldo

 

The age-old debate of who is the better player between Messi and Ronaldo continues to divide opinion among coaches, players and pundits.

Some, like Ronaldo’s former Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson, believe the Portuguese forward has the edge. Speaking back in 2016, Ferguson, who signed Ronaldo to United in 2003, said that while “Messi is a fantastic player,” Ronaldo is more complete.

“Here, for me, is the difference. Messi is a Barcelona player. But Ronaldo could play for Stockport County and score a hat-trick,” said the Scotsman. “He has everything.”

Others, however, like Brazil legend Pelé, who is widely regarded as one of the greatest soccer players of all time, favor Messi.

“For my team, I prefer Messi,” he told SporTV, per Sport Bible, in 2018. “As for Cristiano Ronaldo, he’s a great goalscorer. Ronaldo’s been able to score goals, while you see Messi creating goals and directing the play, as well as scoring.”

“Ronaldo’s a great goalscorer, but in terms of the complete player, there’s no doubt that Messi is the best,” he said.

Henrik Larsson, having shared the pitch with both—Ronaldo at Manchester United and Messi at Barcelona—also believes the Argentine has the advantage.

“Cristiano is unlucky to be playing at the same time as Messi,” the former Sweden international told Telegrafi. “Ronaldo is a very good player, but Messi is even better. He is out of this world. He’s so good that it’s almost incredible.”

Style, Impact and Something You Can’t Put Into Words

 

If you were to judge who is best out of Messi and Ronaldo based on statistics and trophies alone, it’s extremely close, though Messi probably comes out on top. While Ronaldo has scored more goals, Messi’s have often been more impactful. He’s also more of a team player, and has won more team and individual honors than Ronaldo.http://News360plus.com

It’s something that a table can’t tell you, h