In the next 50 years, when the debate of who the greatest player in the history of the game is being discussed, Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi’s names would definitely be mentioned. This generation is very lucky to have witnessed both stars play.
Lionel Messi achieved the greatest achievement there is in football when he won the 2022 FIFA World Cup. He led Argentina to the title, scoring seven goals, including two goals in the final, and providing three assists. He won the tournament’s Golden Ball award, which was the second of his career.
Cristiano Ronaldo on the other hand has never won the FIFA World Cup. The farthest he has ever gone is the semi-finals which came in the 2006 FIFA World Cup.
The Argentine has also won the Ballon d’Or award seven times while Cristiano Ronaldo has five Ballon d’Or awards to his name.
Cristiano Ronaldo is the player with the most goals in the history of football having scored 824 goals in his career while Lionel Messi has 802 goals in his career. He is also the highest goalscorer in the history of international football with 118 goals for Portugal. The former Manchester United star has also scored the most goals in club football with 706 goals.
In the Champions League, Cristiano Ronaldo also comes top. The Al-Nassr superstar has five Champions League titles while Lionel Messi has four titles to his name. The Portuguese superstar is the highest goalscorer in the history of the competition with 140 goals while Lionel Messi has 129 goals in the competition.
While Lionel Messi is now widely considered the greatest player ever with his triumph in the 2022 FIFA World Cup, for some people, Cristiano Ronaldo will always be the GOAT.
In my opinion, both are magnificent players and we as football fans have been blessed with countless memorable duels. Choosing who is better is often a matter of personal preference. Hence, it would be wise for the fans to enjoy both as long as they are still playing.
