Lionel Messi boasts a head-to-head record against Cristiano Ronaldo of 15 wins, nine draws, and 10 defeats in competitive club matches. Messi had an incredible 2024 MLS season with Inter Miami, scoring 20 goals and providing 16 assists in 19 matches, making him the all-time leading goalscorer for the club. Despite his stellar performance, Inter Miami was eliminated in the third season of the 2024 MLS Cup playoffs after a 2-3 loss to Atlanta United, with Messi scoring a goal in the match.
In this season, Messi achieved a historic milestone by reaching 850 career goals, surpassing the record previously held by Cristiano Ronaldo. Messi accomplished this feat in 1,081 official matches, whereas Ronaldo reached his 850 goals in 1,179 matches. Currently, Ronaldo holds the record for the most official goals with 908. Reflecting on his career, Ronaldo mentioned, “If I get to 1,000 goals, great. But even if I don’t, I am the player with the most official goals in history. To be honest, I have myself to blame: in life, in certain things, in football, on a personal level, I now live in the moment, and I think that’s the most important thing. We don’t need to think long-term; I can’t think long-term anymore. That’s it: live in the moment, enjoy the moment. Whatever I’m fit to do now, I’ll do.”
In terms of individual accolades, Messi has secured eight Ballon d’Or titles, compared to Ronaldo’s five. Additionally, Messi has won eight FIFA World’s Best Player awards and six European Golden Shoes, whereas Ronaldo has five and four, respectively. Their head-to-head record in competitive club matches stands at 15 wins for Messi, nine draws, and 10 wins for Ronaldo, along with one win and one loss in international friendlies and one win for Messi in a club friendly. Messi has also won the 2022 World Cup and two Copa America titles, while Ronaldo has one Euro title. Currently, both legends are no longer playing in Europe and haven’t faced each other for a while.
