If there is a duel that has been able to captivate the world of football, it has been that of the two great legends of recent times: Leo Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. Two great 'cracks' who, despite having stopped rivalling on the field some time ago (the last time was on January 19, 2023) and it seems unlikely that they will face each other again, the football world continues to compare their statistics throughout their illustrious careers, which today translate into truly staggering numbers for these two stars.
Recently, the comparison between the records of both stars returned to the spotlight after 'CR7', in the latest clash between Portugal and Croatia, valid for matchday one of the Nations League 24/25, scored a historic goal that took him to the stratospheric figure of 900 goals. This number increasingly solidifies him as the most ruthless goal scorer in history. As a result, the question arises: how far is 'La Pulga' in this regard compared to Cristiano?
Currently, the Argentine forward, who like the Portuguese is still active in football, both at club level (Inter Miami) and in the national team (Argentina), has a total of 838 goals in 1069 matches. Based on this premise, to date, Leo Messi is 63 goals away from catching up with Cristiano Ronaldo in his historic record (901). However, it is important to note that the Portuguese has amassed this goal difference in 162 matches more than the Argentine, as the Portuguese has played a total of 1231 professional matches at 39 years of age.
| PLAYER | CLUB GOALS | CLUBS WHERE GOALS WERE SCORED | CLUB MATCHES PLAYED | INTERNATIONAL GOALS |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cristiano Ronaldo | 769 (1st) | Real Madrid (450), Manchester United (145), Juventus (101), Al-Nassr (68), Sporting Club de Portugal (5) | 1017 | 132 goals in 214 matches (1st) |
| Leo Messi | 729 (2nd) | FC Barcelona (672), Paris Saint-Germain (32), Inter Miami (25) | 882 | 109 goals in 187 matches (2nd) |
Will Leo Messi manage to come back and secure the historical top scorer position?
Now, it remains to be seen if Leo Messi, two years younger (37), can catch up with Cristiano in this exciting race to become the greatest goal scorer in history. A competition where they have already surpassed other prominent goal scorers such as Josef Bican, the Czech forward who scored 805 goals between the 1930s and 1950s, or Romário who occupies fourth place with 772 goals, followed by Pelé in fifth place with 757 goals according to FIFA records. In addition, Ferenc Puskás and Gerd Müller are also part of this select group, completing a historic 'top 7' with 746 and 734 goals respectively.