Messi–Ronaldo rivalry

Page semi-protected
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Cristiano Ronaldo (left) and Lionel Messi before an international friendly between Argentina and Portugal in Geneva, Switzerland, 9 February 2011
A man in a red shirt looks to his right. This article is part of a series about
Cristiano Ronaldo

Portuguese professional footballer

Eponyms and public art

Films

Lionel Messi This article is part of a series about
Lionel Messi

Argentine professional footballer

Eponyms and public art

Media

Family

The Messi–Ronaldo rivalry, or Ronaldo–Messi rivalry, is a sporting rivalry in football propelled by the media and fans that involves Argentine footballer Lionel Messi and Portuguese footballer Cristiano Ronaldo, mainly for being contemporaries and due to their similar records and sporting successes.[1] They spent nine seasons in the prime of their careers facing off regularly while playing for rival clubs Barcelona and Real Madrid.

Together they have achieved various historical milestones in the sport, coming to be considered as two of the best players of all time. They are two of the most decorated footballers ever, having won a combined 79 official trophies (Messi 44, Ronaldo 35) during their senior careers thus far, and have regularly broken the 50-goal barrier in a single season. They are the only two players to score over 800 goals each in their careers for club and country. Ronaldo holds the record for most official goals in a career.

A cigarette strap bin titled in Polish "Who is the better player?" in an attempt to establish who the best player is among the duo

Journalists and pundits regularly argue the individual merits of both players in an attempt to establish who they believe is the best player in modern football or ever. Regardless of preference, football critics generally agree that they are both the best players of their generation, outperforming their peers by a significant margin.[2] Ronaldo has received praise for his physical attributes, goalscoring skills, leadership and performance under pressure, while Messi is lauded for his combination of dribbling, playmaking, passing and goalscoring.[3] It has been compared to past global sports rivalries such as the Muhammad Ali–Joe Frazier rivalry in boxing, the Prost–Senna rivalry in motorsport, and the tennis rivalries between Federer–Nadal and Borg–McEnroe.[4][5][6] Some commentators choose to analyse the differing physiques and playing styles of the two,[7] while part of the debate revolves around the contrasting personalities of the two players; Ronaldo is sometimes described as someone of temperamental character while Messi is considered to have a more reserved personality.[8]

After Messi led Argentina to victory in the 2022 FIFA World Cup, a number of football critics, commentators and players have opined that Messi has settled the debate between the two players.[A]

History

Origins

In 2007, Ronaldo and Messi finished as runners-up to AC Milan's Kaká in both the Ballon d'Or, an award rewarded to the player voted as the best in the world by an international panel of sports journalists, and the FIFA World Player of the Year, an award voted for by coaches and captains of international teams. In an interview that year, Messi was quoted as saying that "Cristiano Ronaldo is an extraordinary player and it would be brilliant to be in the same team as him."[12][13]

They first played in a game against each other when

final via a Paul Scholes goal.[18]

The 2009 UEFA Champions League final was contested between Manchester United and Barcelona on 27 May 2009 at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome, Italy. The match, described as a "dream clash",[19] was again hyped as the latest battle between the two, this time to settle who was the best player in the world.[20][21] Ronaldo explained to always go out on to the field believing he is the best. "For me, you have to have that confidence at all times. That's what makes me the player I am."[22] Messi's club-mate Xavi sided with his fellow Barcelona player: "Messi is the best player in the world by a distance, he's the No1."[23] Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson was more diplomatic, praising both players as being amongst the world's elite talents.[24][25] Barca successfully kept United at arm's length to win 2–0, with Messi scoring a rare header for his team's second goal.[26]

El Clásico

Main article: El Clásico

On 11 June 2009, Manchester United accepted an offer of £80 million (€94 million) for Ronaldo to be transferred to Barcelona's

Real Madrid.[27][28] The transfer was confirmed on 1 July.[29][30]

From 2009 to 2018, the two played against each other at least twice per season during El Clásico matches but also met many other times in competitions such as the Copa del Rey, the Supercopa de España, and a two-legged Champions League semi-final in 2011.[31] This period was the most competitive in El Clásico history, with both players being their clubs' all-time top scorers. The two players alternated as top scorers in La Liga and the Champions League during most seasons while they were with Real Madrid and Barcelona.[32]

2009–10

In the first league meeting between the two players, on 29 November 2009, it was Messi's Barcelona who came out on top, winning 1–0 with a goal from Zlatan Ibrahimović.[33] In the second El Clásico of the season, Messi scored his 40th goal of the season in a 2–0 win.[34] Messi was said to have made a fool out of Ronaldo by the Spanish press, which claimed that Ronaldo's "reign in the football world has ended".[35]

2010–11

On 20 November 2010, the pair both scored hat-tricks on the same day for the first time; Ronaldo hit three goals against Athletic Bilbao in a 5–1 win, while Messi scored three as Barcelona thrashed Almería 8–0.[36][37] The achievement was said to have proven why they are widely considered "the world's best players".[38]

The two players faced each other whilst representing their international sides for the first time on 9 February 2011, as Argentina played Portugal in a friendly in Geneva, Switzerland, their first meeting for 40 years.[39][40][41] Both players were on the scoresheet, with Ronaldo scoring an equaliser before Messi scored an 89th-minute penalty to win the game 2–1.[42][43]

The two came face-to-face in four pulsating games in the season finale,

2011 Copa del Rey Final, Ronaldo scored the only goal of the game in extra time to give Real Madrid a 1–0 win, and the club's first trophy under manager José Mourinho.[51] The third game was the first leg of the Champions League semi-final. The match was ugly and ill-tempered, with Madrid's Pepe sent off and both Madrid's coach José Mourinho and Barcelona's substitute goalkeeper José Manuel Pinto sent to the stands, before Messi provided two moments of magic,[52][53][54] including one described as "one of the best goals in Champions League history",[55] to give Barcelona a two-goal lead in the tie.[56] Following the game, Messi was praised as both the current best in the world and amongst the greatest players of all time.[57][58][59] Of the seven goals scored in the four games, Messi scored three and Ronaldo scored two.[60]

2011–12

Messi finished the 2012 calendar year with 91 goals to his name, breaking the previous record held by Gerd Müller and winning his fourth consecutive FIFA Ballon d'Or in the process.

On 24 September 2011, both players scored a hat-trick on the same day for the second time; Ronaldo scored three in a 6–2 win against Rayo Vallecano, and Messi scored three in a 5–0 win over Atlético Madrid.[61][62]

Having been drawn against each other in the Copa Del Rey quarter-finals later in the month, Ronaldo scored a goal in each game, but Barcelona advanced 4–3 on aggregate.[63][64]

On 21 April 2012, Ronaldo scored the winning goal in El Clásico as Real Madrid won 2–1 and closed in on the league championship.[65]

2012–13

In the first El clásico of the season on 7 October 2012, both players scored twice in a 2–2 at the Camp Nou, the sixth straight match between the two clubs that Ronaldo had scored in.[66][67] Ronaldo scored in the 23rd minute to put Madrid 1–0 in front, then Messi scored two either side of half-time to put Barcelona in the lead, but for only five minutes before Ronaldo scored a 66th-minute equaliser.[68] Messi finished the calendar year of 2012 with an all-time record of 91 goals for both club and country, overtaking Gerd Müller's record of 85 goals.[69][70]

At the end of January, the players scored hat-tricks on the same day for the third time; Ronaldo scored three against

Nou Camp.[76]

2013–14

Real Madrid
win a record tenth title.

In September 2013, the players scored hat-tricks on the same Champions League matchday for the first time; Ronaldo scored three against Galatasaray as Real Madrid won 6–1, while a day later Messi scored a hat-trick against Ajax as Barcelona won 4–0.[77][78] This latest accomplishment was said to "defy the accepted wisdom that football is a team game".[79]

In the second El Clásico of the season on 23 March 2014, Messi became the all-time top scorer in the fixture after he scored a hat-trick, including two penalty kicks, as Barcelona defeated Real Madrid 4–3, while Ronaldo also scored a goal from the penalty spot which initially put Real Madrid 3–2 in front; it was a match described as "astonishing", "thrilling" and "the best Clasico in recent years".[80][81][82]

2014–15

At the start of the season, the race to beat

Luis Enrique claimed Messi was the "greatest player of all time".[87] Ronaldo equalled Raúl's tally on 26 November when he scored the only goal of the game against Basel.[88]

For the second time in the season, the two players faced each other, this time in the shirts of their respective nations at Old Trafford, and was their last meeting before the announcement of the 2014 FIFA Ballon d'Or. The British press called the match an "international version of the Premier League's 39th game", which claimed that it "offers unique opportunity for a new seam of support to become embroiled in the Ronaldo v Messi arguments".[89] Portugal defeated Argentina 1–0, although neither Ronaldo nor Messi appeared on the score sheet.[90]

On 3 November, in a 4–0 victory over

Celta Vigo.[95] The goals meant he became the quickest player to reach 200 La Liga goals, accomplishing the feat in just 178 games, surpassing Zarra's record of 219 games to reach the milestone.[96][97] The following day, Messi responded by scoring his third hat-trick in his four games, his 21st La Liga hat-trick in total.[98][99] The continuous record breaking was said be down to the pairs' "spellbinding skill, relentless application, athletic charisma",[100] while journalist Sid Lowe said that this latest accomplishment "probably doesn't count as a story any more".[101]

On 5 April, Ronaldo scored five times in one game for the first time in his career, including an eight-minute hat-trick, in a 9–1 defeat of Granada in La Liga.[102] He followed this up on 8 April with a goal against Rayo Vallecano in a 2–0 victory; his 300th Real Madrid goal.[103] 10 days later, he became the second player in the history of football to score 50 or more goals in a season on five occasions, when he scored the third goal in a 3–1 victory against Málaga,[104] while earlier in the day, Messi scored his 400th Barcelona goal in a 2–0 win against Valencia.[105]

2015–16

joint all-time top goalscorer, equalling Raúl's record of 323 goals. He surpassed that record with a goal against Levante
on 17 October 2015.

On 8 December 2015, Ronaldo set a Champions League record of 11 goals in the group stage after scoring four goals against Malmö.[106] His four-goal haul equalled a club record in the competition, jointly held by Alfredo Di Stéfano, Ferenc Puskás, and Hugo Sánchez.[107]

On 17 February 2016, Messi scored his 300th La Liga goal in a 1–3 away win against

Sporting Gijon.[108] By scoring four goals in a 7–1 home win over Celta Vigo on 5 March, Ronaldo arrived at 252 goals in La Liga to become the competition's second-highest scorer in history behind Messi.[109] Ronaldo scored a hat-trick against Wolfsburg to send his club into the Champions League semi-finals despite a 2–0 first-leg defeat.[110] The treble took his tally in the competition to 16 goals, making him the top scorer for the fourth consecutive season and the fifth overall.[111]

Final meetings

Following Ronaldo's transfer to

Juventus in the summer of 2018, the two faced each other only one more time in the next four seasons when Ronaldo's two goals from the penalty spot helped Juventus to a 3–0 away win against Messi's Barcelona in the 2020–21 UEFA Champions League group stage.[112]

On 21 January 2023, the two played each other for the first time in over two years, as a combined team featuring

Paris Saint-Germain in an exhibition friendly in Riyadh. Messi scored once and Ronaldo twice in the game, which was described as potentially being the last-ever match featuring both players.[113]

Leaving Europe and end of rivalry

Both players left the European stage in 2023, with Ronaldo joining Al-Nassr in Saudi Arabia while Messi joined Inter Miami CF in the United States. The 2023–24 season was thus the first since 2002 when neither Messi nor Ronaldo played in Europe, and it was seen by many as the end of an era.[114] Both transfers were credited as being crucial in popularizing the sport in the Middle East and North America, and in helping establish them as the two rising powers in football outside of Europe.[115]

In August 2023, both players won their first title with their new teams; Ronaldo helped Al-Nassr win the 2023 Arab Club Champions Cup for the first time in their history and was awarded the competition's top scorer award with six goals,[116] while Messi helped Inter Miami win the 2023 Leagues Cup, the first-ever trophy in the club's history, and was awarded the competition's top scorer award with ten goals as well as the competition's best player award.[117][118] In September 2023, Ronaldo declared that his rivalry with Messi was over and "gone", after 36 official fixtures and 15 years of "sharing the stage".[119]

Relationship between Messi and Ronaldo

In a 2016 interview, Ronaldo commented on the rivalry by saying: "I think we push each other sometimes in the competition, this is why the competition is so high."[120] Alex Ferguson, Ronaldo's manager during his time at Manchester United, opined: "I don't think the rivalry against each other bothers them. I think they have their own personal pride in terms of wanting to be the best."[121] Messi has denied any rivalry, and blames the media for creating it, stating that "only the media, the press, who wants us to be at loggerheads but I've never fought with Cristiano."[122]

It is widely argued and documented that there is an atmosphere of competition between the duo, with

Juventus, Messi admitted to missing him, saying: "I miss Cristiano. Although it was a bit difficult to see him win trophies, he gave La Liga prestige."[128] During a joint interview at the UEFA Men's Player of the Year Award ceremony in 2019, Ronaldo said he would like to "have dinner together in the future", to which Messi later replied: "If I get an invitation, why not?"[129]

Awards and records

Main articles: List of career achievements by Lionel Messi and List of career achievements by Cristiano Ronaldo

"When they will not be there anymore, we will realise what they have given us. Both of them. I always refuse to make a hierarchy on that because they are two different players. Completely different players, but two exceptional players who have shown the world for 15 years how great football can be."

—FIFA's Chief of Global Football Development Arsène Wenger sums up the Lionel Messi vs Cristiano Ronaldo rivalry at The Best FIFA Football Awards 2022.[130]

Throughout the existence of the rivalry, the pair have dominated awards ceremonies and broken a multitude of goalscoring records for both club and country, feats which have been described as "incredible", "ridiculous" and "remarkable".[131][132][133] The rivalry itself has been described as one about records and reputation of the players, rather than one based in loathing.[134][135]

Messi is the all-time La Liga top scorer, as well as having the most assists in the competition's history – with Ronaldo in second for goals scored and in fourth for assists provided – while Ronaldo is the UEFA Champions League all-time top appearance maker, goalscorer and assist provider, with Messi in third for appearances and in second for both goals scored and assists provided in the competition's history. They are the first two players to score 100 goals in UEFA Champions League history.[136] Ronaldo also holds the records for most international caps and most international goals – with Messi ranked eleventh in appearances and third for goals scored.

The pair dominated the Ballon d'Or/The Best FIFA Men's Player awards since 2008, and UEFA Men's Player of the Year Award since 2014; in 2018, their longer than a decade triumph was interrupted by Luka Modrić, seen as "the end of an era".[137][138][139] In an interview for the France Football, Modrić stated that "history will say that a Croatian player, representing his small country, won the Ballon d'Or after Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, who are players at another level. Nobody has the right to compare themselves to them."

Ronaldo holds the record for most Ballon d'Or nominations with 18 while Messi is the second most-nominated footballer with 16. Messi won four consecutive Ballon d'Or awards (2009 to 2012), with a fifth coming in 2015, while Ronaldo had equalled Messi's total of five with wins in 2008, 2013, 2014, 2016, and 2017. In 2019, Messi took the lead again by earning a record sixth Ballon d'Or, finishing just seven points ahead of second-placed

Inter Miami
).

Both Messi and Ronaldo were also nominated a record 11 times for the UEFA Men's Player of the Year Award, with Ronaldo outperforming Messi 3 to 2 in wins and 9 to 7 in podium finishes.

The pair's goal-scoring prowess resulted in a number of individual top scorer accolades. Messi won eight Pichichi trophies and six European Golden Shoe awards (2010, 2012, 2013, 2017, 2018 and 2019). Ronaldo won the European Golden Shoe award on four occasions (2008, 2011, 2014 and 2015) and remains the only footballer with top-flight top scorer awards in England (2008), Spain (2011, 2014 and 2015) and Italy (2021). He was the Champions League top scorer on seven occasions, with Messi achieving this feat six times (including in 2015 when the pair finished joint-top).

Messi has won a world record 44 total official trophies (including a club record 35 major trophies as a Barcelona player), claiming twelve league titles, four Champions Leagues, seven

Golden Ball award.[146]

Ronaldo has won 36 official trophies,

2019 UEFA Nations League titles, the nation's first major trophies. He has won all national top-tier club competitions in England, Spain and Italy, including four national cups, two league cups, and seven national super cups. In addition, he won three European Super Cups,[148][149] four FIFA Club World Cups,[150] and one Arab Club Champions Cup.[116]

Player statistics

Club statistics

As of 13 April 2024
Lionel Messi
Club Season League Cup Continental Other Total
Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
———————————————————————————————————
———————————————————————————————————
Barcelona
2004–05 7 1 1 0 1 0 0 0 9 1
2005–06 17 6 2 1 6 1 0 0 25 8
2006–07 26 14 2 2 5 1 3 0 36 17
2007–08 28 10 3 0 9 6 0 0 40 16
2008–09 31 23 8 6 12 9 0 0 51 38
2009–10 35 34 3 1 11 8 4 4 53 47
2010–11 33 31 7 7 13 12 2 3 55 53
2011–12 37 50 7 3 11 14 5 6 60 73
2012–13 32 46 5 4 11 8 2 2 50 60
2013–14 31 28 6 5 7 8 2 0 46 41
2014–15 38 43 6 5 13 10 0 0 57 58
2015–16 33 26 5 5 7 6 4 4 49 41
2016–17 34 37 7 5 9 11 2 1 52 54
2017–18 36 34 6 4 10 6 2 1 54 45
2018–19 34 36 5 3 10 12 1 0 50 51
2019–20 33 25 2 2 8 3 1 1 44 31
2020–21 35 30 5 3 6 5 1 0 47 38
Paris Saint-Germain
2021–22 26 6 1 0 7 5 0 0 34 11
2022–23 32 16 1 0 7 4 1 1 41 21
Inter Miami
2023 6 1 1 0 — 7 10 14 11
2024 5 5 0 0 3 2 0 0 8 7
Total 589[a] 502 83 56 166 131 37 33 875[a] 722
Cristiano Ronaldo
Club Season League Cup Continental Other Total
Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Sporting CP
2002–03 25 3 3 2 3 0 0 0 31 5
Manchester
United
2003–04 29 4 6 2 5 0 0 0 40 6
2004–05 33 5 9 4 8 0 0 0 50 9
2005–06 33 9 6 2 8 1 0 0 47 12
2006–07 34 17 8 3 11 3 0 0 53 23
2007–08 34 31 3 3 11 8 1 0 49 42
2008–09 33 18 6 3 12 4 2 1 53 26
Real Madrid
2009–10 29 26 0 0 6 7 0 0 35 33
2010–11 34 40 8 7 12 6 0 0 54 53
2011–12 38 46 5 3 10 10 2 1 55 60
2012–13 34 34 7 7 12 12 2 2 55 55
2013–14 30 31 6 3 11 17 0 0 47 51
2014–15 35 48 2 1 12 10 5 2 54 61
2015–16 36 35 0 0 12 16 0 0 48 51
2016–17 29 25 2 1 13 12 2 4 46 42
2017–18 27 26 0 0 13 15 4 3 44 44
Juventus
2018–19 31 21 2 0 9 6 1 1 43 28
2019–20 33 31 4 2 8 4 1 0 46 37
2020–21 33 29 4 2 6 4 1 1 44 36
2021–22 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0
Manchester
United
2021–22 30 18 1 0 7 6 0 0 38 24
2022–23 10 1 0 0 6 2 0 0 16 3
Al Nassr
2022–23 16 14 2 0 — 1 0 19 14
2023–24 25 29 2 1 9 6 7 6 43 42
Total 692[b] 541 86 46 204 149 29 21 1,011[b] 757
Notes
  1. ^ a b Not including second and third division matches (Barcelona B and C, 2003–05).
  2. ^ a b Not including second division matches (Sporting CP B, 2002–03).

International statistics

As of 26 March 2024
Lionel Messi[151]
National team Year Competitive Friendly Total
Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
—————————————————
—————————————————
Argentina 2005 3 0 2 0 5 0
2006 3 1 4 1 7 2
2007 10 4 4 2 14 6
2008 6 1 2 1 8 2
2009 8 1 2 2 10 3
2010 5 0 5 2 10 2
2011 8 2 5 2 13 4
2012 5 5 4 7 9 12
2013 5 3 2 3 7 6
2014 7 4 7 4 14 8
2015 6 1 2 3 8 4
2016 10 8 1 0 11 8
2017 5 4 2 0 7 4
2018 4 1 1 3 5 4
2019 6 1 4 4 10 5
2020 4 1 0 0 4 1
2021 16 9 0 0 16 9
2022 10 8 4 10 14 18
2023 5 3 3 5 8 8
Total 126 57 54 49 180 106[152]
Cristiano Ronaldo[153]
National team Year Competitive Friendly Total
Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Portugal 2003 0 0 2 0 2 0
2004 11 7 5 0 16 7
2005 7 2 4 0 11 2
2006 10 4 4 2 14 6
2007 9 5 1 0 10 5
2008 5 1 3 0 8 1
2009 5 0 2 1 7 1
2010 6 3 5 0 11 3
2011 6 5 2 2 8 7
2012 9 4 4 1 13 5
2013 6 7 3 3 9 10
2014 5 3 4 2 9 5
2015 4 3 1 0 5 3
2016 10 10 3 3 13 13
2017 10 10 1 1 11 11
2018 4 4 3 2 7 6
2019 10 14 0 0 10 14
2020 4 2 2 1 6 3
2021 11 11 3 2 14 13
2022 12 3 0 0 12 3
2023 9 10 0 0 9 10
2024 0 0 1 0 1 0
Total 153 108 53 20 206 128[154]

Hat-tricks

As of 2 April 2024
Lionel Messi
No. For Against Result Competition Date
1 Barcelona Real Madrid 3–3 (H) 2006–07 La Liga 10 March 2007
2 Atlético Madrid 3–1 (A) 2008–09 Copa del Rey 6 January 2009
3 Tenerife 5–0 (A) 2009–10 La Liga 10 January 2010
4 Valencia 3–0 (H) 2009–10 La Liga 14 March 2010
5 Zaragoza 4–2 (A) 2009–10 La Liga 21 March 2010
6 Arsenal 4 4–1 (H) 2009–10 UEFA Champions League 6 April 2010
7 Sevilla 4–0 (H) 2010 Supercopa de España 21 August 2010
8 Almería 8–0 (A) 2010–11 La Liga 20 November 2010
9 Real Betis 5–0 (H) 2010–11 Copa del Rey 12 January 2011
10 Atlético Madrid 3–0 (H) 2010–11 La Liga 5 February 2011
11 Osasuna 8–0 (H) 2011–12 La Liga 17 September 2011
12 Atlético Madrid 5–0 (H) 2011–12 La Liga 24 September 2011
13 Mallorca 5–0 (H) 2011–12 La Liga 29 October 2011
14 Viktoria Plzeň 4–0 (A) 2011–12 UEFA Champions League 1 November 2011
15 Málaga 4–1 (A) 2011–12 La Liga 22 January 2012
16 Valencia 4 5–1 (H) 2011–12 La Liga 19 February 2012
17 Argentina Switzerland 3–1 (A) Friendly 29 February 2012
18 Barcelona Bayer Leverkusen 5 7–1 (H) 2011–12 UEFA Champions League 7 March 2012
19 Espanyol 4 4–0 (H) 2011–12 La Liga 20 March 2012
20 Granada 5–3 (H) 2011–12 La Liga 2 May 2012
21 Málaga 4–1 (H) 2011–12 La Liga 5 May 2012
22 Argentina Brazil 4–3 (N) Friendly 9 June 2012
23 Barcelona Deportivo La Coruña 5–4 (A) 2012–13 La Liga 20 October 2012
24 Osasuna 4 5–1 (H) 2012–13 La Liga 27 January 2013
25 Argentina Guatemala 4–0 (A) Friendly 14 June 2013
26 Barcelona Valencia 3–2 (A) 2013–14 La Liga 1 September 2013
27 Ajax 4–0 (H) 2013–14 UEFA Champions League 18 September 2013
28 Osasuna 7–0 (H) 2013–14 La Liga 16 March 2014
29 Real Madrid 4–3 (A) 2013–14 La Liga 23 March 2014
30 Sevilla 5–1 (H) 2014–15 La Liga 22 November 2014
31 APOEL 4–0 (H) 2014–15 UEFA Champions League 25 November 2014
32 Espanyol 5–1 (H) 2014–15 La Liga 7 December 2014
33 Deportivo La Coruña 4–0 (A) 2014–15 La Liga 18 January 2015
34 Levante 5–0 (H) 2014–15 La Liga 15 February 2015
35 Rayo Vallecano 6–1 (H) 2014–15 La Liga 15 March 2015
36 Granada 4–0 (H) 2015–16 La Liga 9 January 2016
37 Valencia 7–0 (H) 2015–16 Copa del Rey 3 February 2016
38 Rayo Vallecano 5–1 (A) 2015–16 La Liga 3 March 2016
39 Argentina Panama 5–0 (N) Copa América Centenario 10 June 2016
40 Barcelona Celtic 7–0 (H) 2016–17 UEFA Champions League 13 September 2016
41 Manchester City 4–0 (H) 2016–17 UEFA Champions League 19 October 2016
42 Espanyol 5–0 (H) 2017–18 La Liga 9 September 2017
43 Eibar 4 6–1 (H) 2017–18 La Liga 19 September 2017
44 Argentina Ecuador 3–1 (A) 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification 10 October 2017
45 Barcelona Leganés 3–1 (H) 2017–18 La Liga 7 April 2018
46 Deportivo La Coruña 4–2 (A) 2017–18 La Liga 29 April 2018
47 Argentina Haiti 4–0 (H) Friendly 29 May 2018
48 Barcelona PSV Eindhoven 4–0 (H) 2018–19 UEFA Champions League 18 September 2018
49 Levante 5–0 (A) 2018–19 La Liga 16 December 2018
50 Sevilla 4–2 (A) 2018–19 La Liga 23 February 2019
51 Real Betis 4–1 (A) 2018–19 La Liga 17 March 2019
52 Celta Vigo 4–1 (H) 2019–20 La Liga 9 November 2019
53 Mallorca 5–2 (H) 2019–20 La Liga 7 December 2019
54 Eibar 4 5–0 (H) 2019–20 La Liga 22 February 2020
55 Argentina Bolivia 3–0 (H) 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification 9 September 2021
56 Estonia 5 5–0 (N) Friendly 5 June 2022
57 Curaçao 7–0 (H) Friendly 28 March 2023
Cristiano Ronaldo
No. For Against Result Competition Date
1 Manchester United Newcastle United 6–0 (H) 2007–08 Premier League 12 January 2008
2 Real Madrid Mallorca 4–1 (A) 2009–10 La Liga 5 May 2010
3 Racing Santander 4 6–1 (H) 2010–11 La Liga 23 October 2010
4 Athletic Bilbao 5–1 (H) 2010–11 La Liga 20 November 2010
5 Levante 8–0 (H) 2010–11 Copa del Rey 22 December 2010
6 Villarreal 4–2 (H) 2010–11 La Liga 9 January 2011
7 Málaga 7–0 (H) 2010–11 La Liga 3 March 2011
8 Sevilla 4 6–2 (A) 2010–11 La Liga 7 May 2011
9 Getafe 4–0 (H) 2010–11 La Liga 10 May 2011
10 Zaragoza 6–0 (A) 2011–12 La Liga 28 August 2011
11 Rayo Vallecano 4 6–2 (H) 2011–12 La Liga 24 September 2011
12 Málaga 4–0 (A) 2011–12 La Liga 22 October 2011
13 Osasuna 7–1 (H) 2011–12 La Liga 6 November 2011
14 Sevilla 6–2 (A) 2011–12 La Liga 17 December 2011
15 Levante 4–2 (H) 2011–12 La Liga 12 February 2012
16 Atlético Madrid 4–1 (A) 2011–12 La Liga 11 April 2012
17 Deportivo La Coruña 5–1 (H) 2012–13 La Liga 30 September 2012
18 Ajax 4–1 (A) 2012–13 UEFA Champions League 3 October 2012
19 Celta Vigo 4–0 (H) 2012–13 Copa del Rey 9 January 2013
20 Getafe 4–0 (H) 2012–13 La Liga 27 January 2013
21 Sevilla 4–1 (H) 2012–13 La Liga 9 February 2013
22 Portugal Northern Ireland 4–2 (A) 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification 6 September 2013
23 Real Madrid Galatasaray 6–1 (A) 2013–14 UEFA Champions League 17 September 2013
24 Sevilla 7–3 (H) 2013–14 La Liga 30 October 2013
25 Real Sociedad 5–1 (H) 2013–14 La Liga 9 November 2013
26 Portugal
Sweden
 3–2 (A) 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification 19 November 2013
27 Real Madrid Deportivo La Coruña 8–2 (A) 2014–15 La Liga 20 September 2014
28 Elche 4 5–1 (H) 2014–15 La Liga 23 September 2014
29 Athletic Bilbao 5–0 (H) 2014–15 La Liga 5 October 2014
30 Celta Vigo 3–0 (H) 2014–15 La Liga 6 December 2014
31 Granada 5 9–1 (H) 2014–15 La Liga 5 April 2015
32 Sevilla 3–2 (A) 2014–15 La Liga 2 May 2015
33 Espanyol 3–1 (A) 2014–15 La Liga 17 May 2015
34 Getafe 7–3 (H) 2014–15 La Liga 23 May 2015
35 Portugal Armenia 3–2 (A) UEFA Euro 2016 qualifying 13 June 2015
36 Real Madrid Espanyol 5 6–0 (A) 2015–16 La Liga 12 September 2015
37 Shakhtar Donetsk 4–0 (H) 2015–16 UEFA Champions League 15 September 2015
38 Malmö FF 4 8–0 (H) 2015–16 UEFA Champions League 8 December 2015
39 Espanyol 6–0 (H) 2015–16 La Liga 31 January 2016
40 Celta Vigo 4 7–1 (H) 2015–16 La Liga 5 March 2016
41 VfL Wolfsburg 3–0 (H) 2015–16 UEFA Champions League 12 April 2016
42 Portugal Andorra 4 6–0 (H) 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification 7 October 2016
43 Real Madrid Alavés 4–1 (A) 2016–17 La Liga 29 October 2016
44 Atlético Madrid 3–0 (A) 2016–17 La Liga 19 November 2016
45 Kashima Antlers 4–2 (N) 2016 FIFA Club World Cup 18 December 2016
46 Bayern Munich 4–2 (H) 2016–17 UEFA Champions League 18 April 2017
47 Atlético Madrid 3–0 (H) 2016–17 UEFA Champions League 2 May 2017
48 Portugal Faroe Islands 5–1 (H) 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification 31 August 2017
49 Real Madrid Real Sociedad 5–2 (H) 2017–18 La Liga 10 February 2018
50 Girona 4 6–3 (H) 2017–18 La Liga 18 March 2018
51 Portugal Spain 3–3 (N) 2018 FIFA World Cup 15 June 2018
52 Juventus Atlético Madrid 3–0 (H) 2018–19 UEFA Champions League 12 March 2019
53 Portugal Switzerland 3–1 (H) 2019 UEFA Nations League Finals 5 June 2019
54 Lithuania 4 5–1 (A) UEFA Euro 2020 qualifying 10 September 2019
55 Lithuania 6–0 (H) UEFA Euro 2020 qualifying 14 November 2019
56 Juventus Cagliari 4–0 (H) 2019–20 Serie A 6 January 2020
57 Cagliari 3–1 (A) 2020–21 Serie A 14 March 2021
58 Portugal Luxembourg 5–0 (H) 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification 12 October 2021
59 Manchester United Tottenham Hotspur 3–2 (H) 2021–22 Premier League 12 March 2022
60
Norwich City
 3–2 (H) 2021–22 Premier League 16 April 2022
61 Al Nassr Al Wehda 4 4–0 (A) 2022–23 Saudi Pro League 9 February 2023
62 Damac 3–0 (A) 2022–23 Saudi Pro League 25 February 2023
63 Al Fateh 5–0 (A) 2023–24 Saudi Pro League 25 August 2023
64 Al-Tai 5–1 (H) 2023–24 Saudi Pro League 30 March 2024
65 Abha 8–0 (A) 2023–24 Saudi Pro League 2 April 2024

Head-to-head

Over the time both Messi and Ronaldo played in La Liga, the Real Madrid–Barcelona rivalry has been "encapsulated" by the individual rivalry between Ronaldo and Messi to some extent.[155][156] No El Clásico encounter between the two ever finished goalless.[157]

See also: List of El Clásico matches
Legend
Final
Semi-final
No. Date Competition Home team Score Away team Goals scored by the duo
1 23 April 2008 UEFA Champions League Barcelona 0–0 Manchester United
2 29 April 2008 UEFA Champions League Manchester United 1–0 Barcelona
3 27 May 2009 UEFA Champions League Barcelona
2–0
 Manchester United Messi ( 70')
4 29 November 2009 La Liga Barcelona 1–0 Real Madrid
5 10 April 2010 La Liga Real Madrid 0–2 Barcelona Messi ( 33')
6 29 November 2010 La Liga Barcelona 5–0 Real Madrid
7 9 February 2011 International friendly Argentina 2–1 Portugal Ronaldo ( 21'), Messi ( 90' (pen.))
8 16 April 2011 La Liga Real Madrid 1–1 Barcelona Messi ( 51' (pen.)), Ronaldo ( 81' (pen.))
9 20 April 2011 Copa del Rey Real Madrid
a.e.t.
) 		Barcelona Ronaldo ( 103')
10 27 April 2011 UEFA Champions League Real Madrid 0–2 Barcelona Messi ( 76', 87')
11 3 May 2011 UEFA Champions League Barcelona 1–1 Real Madrid
12 14 August 2011 Supercopa de España Real Madrid 2–2 Barcelona Messi ( 45+1')
13 17 August 2011 Supercopa de España Barcelona 3–2 Real Madrid Ronaldo ( 20'), Messi ( 53', 88')
14 10 December 2011 La Liga Real Madrid 1–3 Barcelona
15 18 January 2012 Copa del Rey Real Madrid 1–2 Barcelona Ronaldo ( 11')
16 25 January 2012 Copa del Rey Barcelona 2–2 Real Madrid Ronaldo ( 68')
17 21 April 2012 La Liga Barcelona 1–2 Real Madrid Ronaldo ( 73')
18 23 August 2012 Supercopa de España Barcelona 3–2 Real Madrid Ronaldo ( 55'), Messi ( 70' (pen.))
19 29 August 2012 Supercopa de España
Real Madrid
 		2–1 Barcelona Ronaldo ( 19'), Messi ( 45')
20 7 October 2012 La Liga Barcelona 2–2 Real Madrid Ronaldo ( 23', 66'), Messi ( 31', 61')
21 30 January 2013 Copa del Rey Real Madrid 1–1 Barcelona
22 26 February 2013 Copa del Rey Barcelona 1–3 Real Madrid Ronaldo ( 12' (pen.), 57')
23 2 March 2013 La Liga Real Madrid 2–1 Barcelona Messi ( 18')
24 26 October 2013 La Liga Barcelona 2–1 Real Madrid
25 23 March 2014 La Liga Real Madrid 3–4 Barcelona Messi ( 42', 65' (pen.), 84' (pen.)), Ronaldo ( 55' (pen.))
26 25 October 2014 La Liga Real Madrid 3–1 Barcelona Ronaldo ( 35' (pen.))
27 18 November 2014 International friendly Argentina 0–1 Portugal
28 22 March 2015 La Liga Barcelona 2–1 Real Madrid Ronaldo ( 31')
29 21 November 2015 La Liga Real Madrid 0–4 Barcelona
30 2 April 2016 La Liga Barcelona 1–2 Real Madrid Ronaldo ( 85')
31 3 December 2016 La Liga Barcelona 1–1 Real Madrid
32 23 April 2017 La Liga Real Madrid 2–3 Barcelona Messi ( 33', 90+2')
33 13 August 2017 Supercopa de España Barcelona 1–3 Real Madrid Messi ( 77' (pen.)), Ronaldo ( 80')
34 23 December 2017 La Liga Real Madrid 0–3 Barcelona Messi ( 64' (pen.))
35 6 May 2018 La Liga Barcelona 2–2 Real Madrid Ronaldo ( 14'), Messi ( 52')
36 8 December 2020 UEFA Champions League Barcelona 0–3
Juventus
 		Ronaldo ( 13' (pen.), 52' (pen.))
37 19 January 2023 Club friendly Riyadh XI 4–5 Paris Saint-Germain Messi ( 3'), Ronaldo ( 34' (pen.), 45+6')

Head-to-head summary

Competition Games played Messi wins Draws Ronaldo wins Messi goals Ronaldo goals
La Liga 18 10 4 4 12 9
UEFA Champions League 6 2 2 2 3 2
Copa del Rey 5 1 2 2 0 5
Supercopa de España 5 2 1 2 6 4
International friendly 2 1 0 1 1 1
Charity friendly 1 1 0 0 1 2
Total 37 17 9 11 23 23

Last updated 19 January 2023

See also

References

  1. ^ "Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo helped redefine El Clasico, but will the world still watch without either?". CNN. 23 October 2020. Archived from the original on 25 May 2023. Retrieved 14 November 2021.
  2. ISBN 978-1-78578-140-7
    .
  3. ^ *"Record-breaking Cristiano Ronaldo: Portugal striker says his team believed they could win until the end". Sky Sports. 12 September 2021. Archived from the original on 26 December 2022. Retrieved 16 November 2021.
  4. ^ Hunter, Graham (28 November 2010). "The game's best rivalry". ESPN. Archived from the original on 6 October 2014. Retrieved 30 September 2014.
  5. ^ "Messi v Ronaldo". Sky Sports. 17 October 2011. Archived from the original on 6 October 2014.
  6. ^ "The Special Two". The Times. 21 December 2012. Archived from the original on 26 June 2015. Retrieved 13 October 2014.
  7. ^ Hughes, Rob (13 September 2011). "Ronaldo May Look Like the Best, but There Is Someone Better". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 6 October 2014. Retrieved 30 September 2014.
  8. ^
  9. ^ Usry, Rob (18 December 2022). "Lionel Messi puts the GOAT debate to rest with storybook World Cup win". SBNation.com. Archived from the original on 21 December 2022. Retrieved 20 December 2022.
  10. ^ McIntyre, Doug (18 December 2022). "Lionel Messi Cements His Goat Status With A Little Help From His Friends". Fox Sports. Archived from the original on 4 April 2023. Retrieved 20 January 2023.
  11. ^ Sharland, Pete (18 December 2022). "World Cup 2022 Final: Win Or Lose, Argentina Star Lionel Messi Has Settled The Goat Debate Forever". ESPN. Archived from the original on 22 December 2022. Retrieved 19 January 2023.
  12. ^ Brown, Lucas (28 February 2007). "Messi full of praise for Ronaldo". Sky Sports. Archived from the original on 6 October 2014. Retrieved 30 September 2014.
  13. ^ "Messi keen to team up with Ronaldo". World Soccer. 27 February 2007. Archived from the original on 6 October 2014. Retrieved 30 September 2014.
  14. ^ Garside, Kevin (23 April 2008). "Ronaldo v Messi: Gifted duo who share a path". The Telegraph. Archived from the original on 6 October 2014. Retrieved 30 September 2014.
  15. ^ "Is Cristiano Ronaldo a better player than Lionel Messi?". The Guardian. 23 April 2008. Archived from the original on 6 October 2014. Retrieved 30 September 2014.
  16. ^ Marcus, Jeffrey (23 April 2008). "Ronaldo, Messi and 20 Other Guys". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 6 October 2014. Retrieved 30 September 2014.
  17. ^ McCarra, Kevin (24 April 2008). "Ronaldo fluffs penalty but United hold firm". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 9 October 2014. Retrieved 30 September 2014.
  18. ^ Rutledge, Lewis (29 April 2008). "Scholes seals final spot". Sky Sports. Archived from the original on 6 October 2014. Retrieved 30 September 2014.
  19. ^ Ley, John; Ogden, Mark (27 May 2009). "Manchester United v Barcelona: Cristiano Ronaldo versus Lionel Messi in dream clash". The Telegraph. Archived from the original on 2 December 2014. Retrieved 20 November 2014.
  20. ^ Lawton, James (8 May 2009). "Stage is set for Ronaldo v Messi, the sparkling final Europe deserves". The Independent. Archived from the original on 6 October 2014. Retrieved 30 September 2014.
  21. ^ Longman, Jeré (26 May 2009). "Champions League Final May Settle Ronaldo-Messi Debate". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 26 August 2012. Retrieved 30 September 2014.
  22. ^ "Ronaldo – I'm still No.1". Sky Sports. 24 May 2009. Archived from the original on 6 October 2014. Retrieved 30 September 2014.
  23. ^ Lowe, Sid (26 May 2009). "Cristiano Ronaldo is not in the same league as Lionel Messi, says Xavi". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 6 October 2014. Retrieved 30 September 2014.
  24. ^ "Fergie: Ronaldo and Messi top class". Manchester Evening News. 19 May 2009. Archived from the original on 6 October 2014. Retrieved 30 September 2014.
  25. ^ Ogden, Mark (25 May 2009). "Sir Alex Ferguson cannot separate Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi". The Telegraph. Archived from the original on 7 October 2014. Retrieved 30 September 2014.
  26. ^ Lowe, Sid (17 January 2023). "Messi and Ronaldo's most memorable clashes: From the Champions League to El Clasico". ESPN. Archived from the original on 28 October 2023. Retrieved 9 June 2023.
  27. ^ Taylor, Daniel; Jackson, Jamie (11 June 2009). "Manchester United accept £80m Cristiano Ronaldo bid from Real Madrid". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 23 November 2018. Retrieved 30 September 2014.
  28. ^ Ogden, Mark (11 June 2009). "Manchester United accept £80m bid for Cristiano Ronaldo from Real Madrid". The Telegraph. Archived from the original on 10 May 2019. Retrieved 30 September 2014.
  29. ^ "Manchester United confirm Real's one-off £80m payment for Cristiano Ronaldo". The Guardian. 1 July 2009. Archived from the original on 19 July 2018. Retrieved 30 September 2014.
  30. ^ "Ronaldo completes £80m Real move". BBC. 1 July 2009. Archived from the original on 12 January 2016. Retrieved 30 September 2014.
  31. ^ "El Clasico Battle Establishes Ronaldo vs. Messi as Best Rivalry in Sports Today". bleacherreport.com. 8 October 2012. Archived from the original on 14 July 2023. Retrieved 14 July 2023.
  32. ^ "EXCLUSIVE: Cristiano Ronaldo's former coach explains impact of Lionel Messi rivalry". Daily Mirror. 21 March 2022. Archived from the original on 3 July 2022. Retrieved 14 July 2023.
  33. ^ Stevenson, Jonathan (30 November 2009). "Barcelona and Real Madrid warn European rivals". BBC. Archived from the original on 13 March 2020. Retrieved 30 September 2014.
  34. ^ Sinnott, John (10 April 2010). "Barcelona secure crucial win over rivals Real Madrid". BBC. Archived from the original on 14 August 2017. Retrieved 30 September 2014.
  35. ^ "'Lionel Messi makes fool of Cristiano Ronaldo' – Spain press verdict". The Guardian. 11 April 2010. Archived from the original on 19 July 2018. Retrieved 30 September 2014.
  36. ^ Lucas, Giles (22 November 2010). "Messi and Ronaldo trade hat-tricks before 'El Clasico'". The Independent. Archived from the original on 25 September 2015. Retrieved 1 October 2014.
  37. ^ "Ronaldo matches Messi's treble as Real and Barca go goal crazy". CNN. 22 November 2010. Archived from the original on 3 September 2014. Retrieved 1 October 2014.
  38. ^ Ballard, Ed (22 November 2010). "Barcelona's Lionel Messi and Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo in scintillating form ahead of El Clásico". The Telegraph. Archived from the original on 19 July 2018. Retrieved 1 October 2014.
  39. ^ Chadband, Ian (8 February 2011). "Cristiano Ronaldo's Portugal face Lionel Messi's Argentina in Geneva, but which of the pair is the world's greatest?". The Telegraph. Archived from the original on 20 July 2018. Retrieved 30 September 2014.
  40. ^ Bandini, Paolo (9 February 2011). "Messi v Ronaldo and much more. Is this the best night of friendlies ever?". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 19 July 2018. Retrieved 30 September 2014.
  41. ^ Brookfield, Saul (9 February 2011). "Finally, Ronaldo and Messi meet on national stage". The Independent. Archived from the original on 19 July 2018. Retrieved 30 September 2014.
  42. ^ Doyle, Paul (9 February 2011). "Lionel Messi eclipses Cristiano Ronaldo as Argentina beat Portugal". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 19 July 2018. Retrieved 30 September 2014.
  43. ^ Brookfield, Saul (10 February 2011). "Messi's winner overshadows Ronaldo". The Independent. Archived from the original on 25 September 2015. Retrieved 30 September 2014.
  44. ^ Gilmour, Rod (14 April 2011). "Real Madrid v Barcelona: El Clásico's World Series 2011". The Telegraph. Archived from the original on 19 July 2018. Retrieved 30 September 2014.
  45. ^ Lowe, Sid (14 April 2011). "Four battles, one war: Winner takes all for Barcelona and Real Madrid". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 19 July 2018. Retrieved 30 September 2014.
  46. ^ Minder, Raphael (15 April 2011). "Madrid vs. Barcelona: Four Times a Soccer Classic". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 19 July 2018. Retrieved 30 September 2014.
  47. ^ Hunter, Graham (15 April 2011). "Plotting their game plans". ESPN. Archived from the original on 29 September 2015. Retrieved 30 September 2014.
  48. ^ Hayward, Paul (27 April 2011). "Messi v Ronaldo: majestic maestros ready for game's No1 face-off". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 19 July 2018. Retrieved 30 September 2014.
  49. ^ Jenson, Pete (3 May 2011). "Ronaldo has 90 minutes to steal limelight and cast shadow on stellar Messi". The Independent. Archived from the original on 19 July 2018. Retrieved 30 September 2014.
  50. ^ "Penalties apiece as first Clasico is drawn". ESPN. 16 April 2011. Archived from the original on 6 October 2014. Retrieved 30 September 2014.
  51. ^ "Ronaldo's late goal gives Real Madrid win over Barcelona in Copa del Rey". The Guardian. 21 April 2011. Archived from the original on 22 April 2011. Retrieved 30 September 2014.
  52. ^ Lowe, Sid (27 April 2011). "Lionel Messi capitalises for Barcelona as Real Madrid see red again". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 6 March 2019. Retrieved 30 September 2014.
  53. ^ Parrish, Rob (27 April 2011). "Messi magic inspires Barca". Sky Sports. Archived from the original on 30 October 2014. Retrieved 30 September 2014.
  54. ^ Hughes, Rob (27 April 2011). "Messi's Goals Worthy of Praise". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 19 July 2018. Retrieved 30 September 2014.
  55. ^ Jenson, Pete (28 April 2011). "Messi's moment of beauty seals Barça victory on an ugly night". The Independent. Archived from the original on 24 May 2019. Retrieved 30 September 2014.
  56. ^ Perez, Mike (27 April 2011). "Masterful Messi lights up Bernabeu clash". The Independent. Archived from the original on 20 July 2018. Retrieved 30 September 2014.
  57. ^ Hayward, Paul (1 May 2011). "Barcelona's Lionel Messi powers into the pantheon of greats". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 19 July 2018. Retrieved 30 September 2014.
  58. ^ "Lionel Messi: what they're saying about Barcelona striker". The Telegraph. 28 April 2011. Archived from the original on 19 July 2018. Retrieved 30 September 2014.
  59. ^ Nevin, Pat (27 April 2011). "Barcelona's Lionel Messi joins the greats". BBC. Archived from the original on 13 March 2020. Retrieved 30 September 2014.
  60. ^ Hunter, Graham (19 May 2011). "The Messi and Ronaldo show". ESPN. Archived from the original on 29 September 2015. Retrieved 30 September 2014.
  61. ^ "Hat tricks fuel Barcelona, Real to romps". ESPN. 24 September 2011. Archived from the original on 4 September 2014. Retrieved 11 October 2014.
  62. ^ "Hat-tricks for Messi and Ronaldo". RTÉ. 24 September 2011. Archived from the original on 5 March 2016. Retrieved 11 October 2014.
  63. ^ Lowe, Sid (19 January 2012). "Barcelona see off Real Madrid and José Mourinho with little problem". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 19 July 2018. Retrieved 30 September 2014.
  64. ^ Lowe, Sid (26 January 2012). "Barcelona hold off Real Madrid's classic comeback to progress". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 19 July 2018. Retrieved 30 September 2014.
  65. ^ Lowe, Sid (21 April 2012). "Cristiano Ronaldo shocks Barcelona as Real Madrid close on title". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 19 July 2018. Retrieved 30 September 2014.
  66. ^ Chadband, Ian (8 October 2012). "Barcelona 2 Real Madrid 2". The Telegraph. Archived from the original on 19 July 2018. Retrieved 30 September 2014.
  67. ^ "Messi and Ronaldo star in El Clasico". Sky Sports. 8 October 2012. Archived from the original on 6 October 2014. Retrieved 30 September 2014.
  68. ^ Lowe, Sid (7 October 2012). "Barcelona and Real Madrid draw El Clásico thriller at Camp Nou". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 8 April 2019. Retrieved 30 September 2014.
  69. ^ "Lionel Messi finishes 2012 with 91st goal". ESPN. 22 December 2012. Archived from the original on 19 July 2018. Retrieved 13 October 2014.
  70. ^ "No. 91 for Messi". beIN Sports. 22 December 2012. Archived from the original on 20 October 2014. Retrieved 13 October 2014.
  71. ^ Groome, Ronan (27 January 2013). "Cristiano Ronaldo hits hat-trick... so Lionel Messi goes one better". The Independent. Archived from the original on 25 September 2015. Retrieved 1 October 2014.
  72. ^ "Ronaldo scores three, so Messi nets four". FourFourTwo. 27 January 2013. Archived from the original on 20 July 2018. Retrieved 1 October 2014.
  73. ^ "Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi reach scoring milestones with hat-tricks". The Telegraph. 28 January 2013. Archived from the original on 19 July 2018. Retrieved 1 October 2014.
  74. ^ Lowe, Sid (26 February 2013). "Cristiano Ronaldo scores twice as Real Madrid crush Barcelona". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 31 December 2013. Retrieved 30 September 2014.
  75. ^ Parrish, Rob (27 February 2013). "Real Madrid defeat Barcelona at Camp Nou to reach final". Sky Sports. Archived from the original on 6 October 2014. Retrieved 30 September 2014.
  76. ^ "Cristiano Ronaldo v Barcelona: have goals on Real Madrid striker's last six Nou Camp visits made Barca his bunnies?". The Telegraph. 27 February 2012. Archived from the original on 20 July 2018. Retrieved 30 September 2014.
  77. ^ Phillips, Braden (19 September 2013). "Lionel Messi rises to the goal scoring challenge set by Cristiano Ronaldo". The Independent. Archived from the original on 19 July 2018. Retrieved 1 October 2014.
  78. ^ "Lionel Messi, after Ronaldo hat-trick, scores three against Ajax". CNN. 18 September 2013. Archived from the original on 19 July 2018. Retrieved 1 October 2014.
  79. ^ Hughes, Rob (19 September 2013). "Messi Can Be Upstaged, but Not for Long". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 19 July 2018. Retrieved 1 October 2014.
  80. ^ Lowe, Sid (24 March 2014). "Lionel Messi hat-trick gives Barcelona victory over Real Madrid". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 6 March 2019. Retrieved 30 September 2014.
  81. ^ Jenson, Pete (24 March 2014). "Lionel Messi hat-trick out-guns Cristiano Ronaldo in seven-goal El Clasico thriller". The Independent. Archived from the original on 25 September 2015. Retrieved 30 September 2014.
  82. ^ Cryer, Andy (23 March 2014). "Real Madrid 3–4 Barcelona". BBC. Archived from the original on 8 December 2015. Retrieved 30 September 2014.
  83. ^ Arnett, George; Sedghi, Ami (7 November 2014). "Champions League goalscoring record: charting Messi, Ronaldo and Raúl". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 19 November 2014. Retrieved 20 November 2014.
  84. ^ Bate, Adam (2 November 2014). "Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are closing in on Raul's UEFA Champions League goalscoring record of 71". Sky Sports. Archived from the original on 24 October 2014. Retrieved 20 November 2014.
  85. ^ Corrigan, Dermot (5 November 2014). "Lionel Messi equals Champions League goals record before Cristiano Ronaldo". ESPN. Archived from the original on 29 November 2014. Retrieved 20 November 2014.
  86. ^ "Barcelona's Lionel Messi becomes Champions League's all-time top scorer". The Guardian. 25 November 2014. Archived from the original on 25 November 2014. Retrieved 26 November 2014.
  87. ^ Stephenson, Peter (25 November 2014). "Lionel Messi breaks Champions League record: 'He's the greatest player of all time,' says Barca coach". The Independent. Archived from the original on 26 November 2014. Retrieved 26 November 2014.
  88. ^ Dunbar, Graham (26 November 2014). "Basel vs Real Madrid match report: Cristiano Ronaldo scores only goal for Los Blancos". The Independent. Archived from the original on 27 November 2014. Retrieved 26 November 2014.
  89. ^ "Portugal vs Argentina: Cristiano Ronaldo ready for another battle with Lionel Messi". Telegraph. 17 November 2014. Archived from the original on 19 November 2014. Retrieved 18 November 2014.
  90. ^ "International friendly: Portugal pip Argentina late on at Old Trafford". Sky Sports. 19 November 2014. Archived from the original on 29 April 2015. Retrieved 19 March 2015.
  91. ^ "Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo breaks Isidro Langara's 79-year La Liga record". ESPN. 3 November 2014. Archived from the original on 7 November 2014. Retrieved 11 April 2014.
  92. ^ "Barcelona and Argentina forward Lionel Messi sets new La Liga goalscoring record". Sky Sports. 22 November 2014. Archived from the original on 25 November 2014. Retrieved 23 November 2014.
  93. ^ "Messi breaks La Liga record as Barca cruise". FourFourTwo. 22 November 2014. Archived from the original on 29 November 2014. Retrieved 22 November 2014.
  94. ^ "Barcelona boss Luis Enrique honoured to work with 'one of a kind' Lionel Messi". Sky Sports. 23 November 2014. Archived from the original on 6 March 2016. Retrieved 24 November 2014.
  95. ^ "Cristiano Ronaldo becomes hat-trick king as Real Madrid equal Spanish record". RTÉ Sport. 7 December 2014. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 7 December 2014.
  96. ^ Rigg, Nicholas (7 December 2014). "Cristiano Ronaldo: Records tumble for Real Madrid striker – scoring 23rd La Liga hat-trick and 200th goal in the division on Saturday night". The Independent. Archived from the original on 18 December 2014. Retrieved 7 December 2014.
  97. ^ "Ronaldo hits 200 with record-breaking hat-trick". FourFourTwo. 6 December 2014. Archived from the original on 30 October 2023. Retrieved 7 December 2014.
  98. ^ Sheen, Tom (8 December 2014). "Lionel Messi: Barcelona star responds to Cristiano Ronaldo's hat-trick with one of his own". The Independent. Archived from the original on 18 December 2014. Retrieved 9 December 2014.
  99. ^ "Lionel Messi keeps pace with Cristiano Ronaldo in hat-trick race". CNN. 7 December 2014. Archived from the original on 30 October 2023. Retrieved 9 December 2014.
  100. ^ Hayward, Paul (8 December 2014). "Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi are too good for La Liga – it should not be this easy". The Telegraph. Archived from the original on 9 December 2014. Retrieved 9 December 2014.
  101. ^ Lowe, Sid (8 December 2014). "Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo's feats approaching new extremes". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 8 December 2014. Retrieved 9 December 2014.
  102. ^ "Cristiano Ronaldo scores five as Real Madrid thrash Granada 9–1 in Easter morning La Liga clash". The Telegraph. 5 April 2015. Archived from the original on 6 April 2015. Retrieved 6 April 2015.
  103. ^ Train, Rob (8 April 2015). "Cristiano Ronaldo's 300th goal helps lead Real Madrid to a win over Rayo". ESPN. Archived from the original on 12 April 2015. Retrieved 11 April 2015.
  104. ^ "Cristiano Ronaldo scores 50th goal of the season in Real Madrid's victory". ESPN. 18 April 2015. Archived from the original on 19 April 2015. Retrieved 18 April 2015.
  105. ^ "Lionel Messi scores 400th goal for Barcelona in all competitions". ESPN. 18 April 2015. Archived from the original on 18 April 2015. Retrieved 18 April 2015.
  106. ^ Rogers, Iain (8 December 2015). "Cristiano Ronaldo breaks record with four goals in Real Madrid mauling of Malmo". The Independent. Archived from the original on 12 December 2015. Retrieved 12 December 2015.
  107. ^ Smith, Peter (9 December 2015). "Cristiano Ronaldo breaks Champions League record in Real Madrid thrashing of Malmo". Sky Sports. Archived from the original on 12 December 2015. Retrieved 12 December 2015.
  108. ^ "Leo Messi breaks the 300 goal barrier in the league". FCBarcelona. 18 February 2016. Archived from the original on 20 February 2016. Retrieved 2 October 2016.
  109. ^ "Real Madrid 7 Celta Vigo 1: Ronaldo hits four to beat Zarra mark". FourFourTwo. 5 March 2016. Archived from the original on 20 March 2016. Retrieved 5 March 2016.
  110. ^ "3–0: Comeback accomplished, now for the semi-finals; Real Madrid overcome Wolfsburg courtesy of a Cristiano Ronaldo hat-trick, to take their place in Friday's Champions League draw". 12 April 2016. Archived from the original on 18 November 2018. Retrieved 2 October 2016.
  111. ^ "Cristiano Ronaldo takes scoring prize again". UEFA. 28 May 2016. Archived from the original on 31 May 2016. Retrieved 31 May 2016.
  112. ^ "Ronaldo brace, McKennie volley power Juventus past Messi's Barcelona". ESPN. 8 December 2020. Archived from the original on 2 March 2023. Retrieved 2 March 2023.
  113. ^ "Riyadh Season XI 4–5 PSG summary: Messi and Ronaldo score, goals, highlights". As. 20 January 2023. Archived from the original on 22 January 2023. Retrieved 23 January 2023.
  114. ^ "What does Messi and Ronaldo leaving Europe mean for football?". backpagefootball.com. 18 June 2023. Archived from the original on 24 August 2023. Retrieved 24 August 2023.
  115. ^ "It's not Lionel Messi & MLS vs Cristiano Ronaldo & the Saudi Pro League: The GOATs are on the same side of this 'war' despite their new leagues' differences". www.goal.com. 23 August 2023. Archived from the original on 23 August 2023. Retrieved 24 August 2023.
  116. ^ a b Summerscales, Robert (12 August 2023). "Cristiano Ronaldo Wins First Trophy Since 2021 After Scoring Two Goals For 10-Man Al Nassr In Arab Club Champions Cup Final". Sports Illustrated. Archived from the original on 14 August 2023. Retrieved 12 August 2023.
  117. ^ "Comparing Messi and Ronaldo's Title Wins in Leagues Cup, Arab Cup". sportsbrief.com. 22 August 2023. Archived from the original on 24 August 2023. Retrieved 24 August 2023.
  118. ^ a b Rasmussen, Karl (19 August 2023). "Lionel Messi Becomes Most Decorated Player in Soccer History With Inter Miami's Leagues Cup Win". Sports Illustrated. Archived from the original on 20 August 2023. Retrieved 19 August 2023.
  119. ^ "Cristiano Ronaldo: Lionel Messi rivalry now 'gone' says Portuguese great". BBC Sport. 7 September 2023. Archived from the original on 13 September 2023. Retrieved 11 September 2023.
  120. ^ Montague, James; Pinto, Pedro (29 May 2012). "Cristiano Ronaldo: I'm better than Messi". CNN. Archived from the original on 6 October 2014. Retrieved 30 September 2014.
  121. ^ Palmer, Kevin (20 December 2012). "Fergie: Ronaldo and Messi are equals". ESPN. Archived from the original on 6 October 2014. Retrieved 30 September 2014.
  122. ^ "Barcelona's Lionel Messi blames media for inventing rivalry with Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo". The Telegraph. 15 August 2012. Archived from the original on 7 October 2014. Retrieved 30 September 2014.
  123. ^ Haisley, Billy (11 November 2014). "Book: Ronaldo Refers To Messi As "Motherfucker" Behind His Back". Deadspin. Archived from the original on 15 July 2018. Retrieved 15 July 2018.
  124. ^ Balagué, Guillem (11 November 2014). "Revealed: Cristiano Ronaldo's obscene nickname for Lionel Messi in the Real Madrid dressing room". The Telegraph. Archived from the original on 16 July 2018. Retrieved 15 July 2018.
  125. ^ "Cristiano Ronaldo: Messi obscene nickname claims 'absolutely false'". Sports Illustrated. 12 November 2014. Archived from the original on 28 October 2023. Retrieved 9 June 2023.
  126. ^ Caioli, Luca. "Messi is like Kryptonite to Cristiano Ronaldo's Superman: The story behind football's greatest modern rivalry". Goal. Archived from the original on 15 July 2018. Retrieved 15 July 2018.
  127. ^ "Messi and I are colleagues, work friends" Archived 25 November 2014 at the Wayback Machine. Marca. Retrieved 21 November 2014
  128. ^ "Messi:I miss having Ronaldo in La Liga". Goal.com. 29 March 2019. Archived from the original on 28 November 2020. Retrieved 1 April 2019.
  129. ^ "Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, and Eric Cantona light up UEFA awards". BBC Sport. 30 August 2019. Archived from the original on 27 November 2020. Retrieved 31 August 2019.
  130. ^ Sidle, Ryan (28 February 2022). "Arsene Wenger gave the ultimate response when asked the 'Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo' question". SPORTbible. Archived from the original on 1 March 2023. Retrieved 28 February 2022.
  131. ^ Adamson, Mike (10 December 2012). "Lionel Messi's incredible recordbreaking year in numbers". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 10 October 2014. Retrieved 13 October 2014.
  132. ^ Hyde, Marina (10 December 2014). "Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi: tit-for-tat miracles getting ridiculous". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 7 January 2015. Retrieved 4 January 2015.
  133. ^ Harland, Nick (8 December 2014). "Cristiano Ronaldo's remarkable Real Madrid goalscoring record in full". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 6 January 2015. Retrieved 4 January 2015.
  134. ^ Smith, Jim (11 November 2014). "Cristiano Ronaldo versus Lionel Messi is a rivalry to write history rather than a bitter personal feud". The Telegraph. Archived from the original on 22 December 2015. Retrieved 13 December 2015.
  135. ^ "As another record falls, Ronaldo and Messi continue to drive each other to greater heights". The National. 18 October 2014. Archived from the original on 22 December 2015. Retrieved 13 December 2015.
  136. ^ "Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo goal for goal". UEFA. 11 April 2018. Archived from the original on 21 April 2018. Retrieved 21 April 2018.
  137. ^ "Ballon d'Or: Luka Modric ends dominance of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo". BBC Sport. 3 December 2018. Archived from the original on 3 December 2018. Retrieved 3 December 2018.
  138. ^ Andrew Das (3 December 2018). "Luka Modric Wins Ballon d'Or, Ending Decade of Ronaldo and Messi Triumphs". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 4 December 2018. Retrieved 3 December 2018.
  139. ^ Matt Hughes (4 December 2018). "Luka Modric ends Ballon d'Or era of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo". The Times. Archived from the original on 27 November 2020. Retrieved 4 December 2018.
  140. ^ "Messi v Ronaldo: Who is the GOAT?". BBC Sport. 1 November 2022. Archived from the original on 15 December 2022. Retrieved 15 December 2022.
  141. ^ "Lionel Messi wins eighth Ballon d'Or, first for an active MLS player". The Washington Post. 30 October 2023. Retrieved 30 October 2023.
  142. ^ Thomas-Humphreys, Harry (19 December 2022). "All the trophies Lionel Messi has won in his career". Metro. Archived from the original on 21 January 2023. Retrieved 21 January 2023.
  143. ^ "Messi confirms retirement, says FIFA World Cup 2022 final will be his last for Argentina". The Business Standard. 14 December 2022. Archived from the original on 15 December 2022. Retrieved 15 December 2022.
  144. ^ "Leo Messi named player of tournament in Copa América". FC Barcelona. Archived from the original on 21 October 2021. Retrieved 8 August 2021.
  145. ^ "Lionel Messi and Luis Diaz wins 2021 Copa America Golden Boot". Goal. Archived from the original on 20 January 2022. Retrieved 8 August 2021.
  146. ^ Baxter, Kevin (18 December 2022). "Lionel Messi and Argentina defeat France in penalty kick shootout for World Cup title". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on 18 December 2022. Retrieved 18 December 2022.
  147. ^ Banerjee, Ritabrata (1 October 2021). "Alves, Messi or Ronaldo – Who are the top 5 active players with most trophies in club and international football". Goal. Archived from the original on 12 November 2021. Retrieved 19 November 2021.
  148. ^ "Cristiano Ronaldo". Real Madrid CF. Archived from the original on 22 March 2019. Retrieved 16 November 2021.
  149. ^ Sherlock, Harry (1 October 2021). "Cristiano Ronaldo's trophies: The 15 Real Madrid titles he's won". Goal. Archived from the original on 22 March 2019. Retrieved 16 November 2021.
  150. ^ "Ronaldo coy about Portugal future". BBC Sport. 11 December 2022. Archived from the original on 15 December 2022. Retrieved 15 December 2022.
  151. ^ Mamrud, Roberto. "Lionel Andrés Messi". RSSSF. Archived from the original on 8 September 2015. Retrieved 30 September 2014.
  152. ^ "Lionel Andrés Messi – Century of International Appearances". RSSSF. Archived from the original on 28 January 2023. Retrieved 10 July 2021.
  153. ^ Mamrud, Roberto. "Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro". RSSSF. Archived from the original on 28 August 2017. Retrieved 30 September 2014.
  154. ^ "Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro – Century of International Appearances". RSSSF. Archived from the original on 20 February 2023. Retrieved 10 July 2021.
  155. ^ Bate, Adam (25 October 2013). "Fear and Loathing". Sky Sports. Archived from the original on 14 April 2015. Retrieved 12 January 2015.
  156. ^ Rigg, Nicholas (20 March 2015). "Lionel Messi vs Cristiano Ronaldo: Real Madrid's superstar heads into El Clasico in the shadow of the Barcelona magician". The Independent. Archived from the original on 22 March 2015. Retrieved 12 April 2015.
  157. ^ Lowe, Sid (20 March 2015). "Barcelona vs. Real Madrid, Messi vs. Ronaldo always more than just a game". ESPN. Archived from the original on 15 April 2015. Retrieved 12 April 2015.
  1. ^ Citations:[9][10][11]

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Messi–Ronaldo_rivalry&oldid=1219506799"