Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo? It’s a debate played out in pubs around the world countless times over the year.
We’ve lived in an age that’s seen two of the greatest ever go toe-to-toe, setting all new benchmarks at the highest levels in football.
The pair first made their names in the early noughties and have gone on to rack up more than 1500 club appearances between them, picking up numerous titles and stamping their names in the record books along the way.
talkSPORT looks at the stunning stats behind their careers so far.
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| Lionel Messi vs Cristiano Ronaldo: How the superstar duo compare |
Cristiano Ronaldo
he Portuguese star has played a number of years in different leagues across Europe and has experienced success at each and every one of them.
Ronaldo’s potential was spotted early on in his career when he became the first player to represent Sporting CP at under-16, under-17 and under-18 teams, the B team, and the first team all within a single season.
After a pre-season match against Manchester United he was signed for a then world record fee for a teenager.
Upon signing for Manchester United he was given the famous number seven shirt and during his six season stay he made 292 appearances, scoring 118 goals in all competitions.
CR7 won three Premier League titles in England and claimed one FA Cup, two League Cups and his first Champions League crown in 2008 when United beat Chelsea on penalties in Moscow.
In 2009 he signed for Real Madrid for a world record fee of £80m.
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| Ronaldo made his name in the Premier League with Man United |
Ronaldo spent nine seasons at Madrid and scored more goals than he made appearances for the club boasting an incredible 450 goals in 438 games.
During that time he was an influential part of the team that won two LaLiga titles, two Copa del Reys and four Champions League titles including three in a row under Zinedine Zidane.
Citing a new challenge in the beautiful game, he signed for Serie A club Juventus for £100m in 2018, a record fee for someone in his 30s.
During his first 18 months at the club, Ronaldo has made 75 appearances, scored 53 goals and won the league title in his first season.
He still captains Portugal and has represented the country since 2003, earning 164 caps and finding the back of the net 99 times.
In 2016, he captained the nation to their first major tournament win when they won the European Championships, beating hosts France in extra-time.
Two years later, Ronaldo enjoyed international success again as he lead ‘A Selecao’ to glory in the inaugural UEFA Nations League
Lionel Messi
The Argentine has played his entire career for Barcelona, becoming arguably the club’s greatest ever star.
The little magician has made more than 700 appearances in all competitions for Barca, scoring 627 goals and winning 26 major trophies too boot since his senior debut in 2004.
He has also captained the club since the departure of Andres Iniesta in 2018.
Among his many honours are ten LaLiga titles, six Copa del Reys and four Champions Leagues.
Speaking of the Champions Leagues, 32-year-old Messi has made 141 appearances in Europe’s elite competition, scoring a staggering 114 goals.
At international level Messi has represented his native Argentina since 2005 and is currently captain of the side.
During his 15-year international career he has made 161 appearances, scoring 81 goals but has failed to win any major honours, with the 2014 World Cup final defeat to Germany being the closest he has come to international success.
After the final he was awarded the Golden Ball for best player of the tournament.
Messi did help Argentina to a gold medal at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing.
Messi vs Ronaldo: Head-to-head record
In recent years, El Classico was made a much more significant rivalry due to the participation of Messi and Ronaldo with their never being a goalless game which featured the pair.
Between 2008 and 2018 there were 35 meetings between Messi and Ronaldo, split between the Portuguese star’s time at Manchester United and Real Madrid.
Of the 35 meetings, Messi was victorious 16 times to Ronaldo’s ten with the remaining nine fixtures ending in a draw.
Ronaldo scored 19 goals across those games, three less than Messi who famously scored his 500th goal for Barcelona in the last minute of the El Classico at the Bernabeu in April 2017.
The two have only met twice on the international stage, in friendlies in 2011 and 2014.
Both scored as Argentina won 2-1 in February 2011 in Geneva while Portugal claimed a 1-0 win thanks to Raphael Guerreiro three years later at Old Trafford.
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