There’s a joke in the football world that divides people into two types: fans of Ronaldo or fans of Messi. Which side are you on? Everyone has their own reasons to admire these two great superstars, but it cannot be denied that there are plenty of statistics showing Ronaldo is better than Messi. Let’s take a look at why!
Ronaldo and Messi: A Never-ending Competition
The debate over who is the better player – Cristiano Ronaldo or Lionel Messi – is the most debated topic in the football world and sports in general. Over time, the debate has evolved from “who plays better” to “who is the greatest of all time,” or as it is commonly known, the GOAT.
While everyone has their own views and preferences, many sports experts agree that Ronaldo is a better player than Messi, and there are many undeniable reasons to support this claim. Before delving into specifics, let’s first review some highlights of the careers of these two geniuses, as they contain many elements that lead to today’s results.
Cristiano Ronaldo’s Career Summary
His full name is Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro, commonly known as CR7, born on February 5, 1985, in Portugal.
Ronaldo officially began his football career at Sporting Lisbon (Portugal), going through the U15, U17, and U19 teams. His impressive performance in the Sporting Lisbon jersey – especially in the 3-1 victory against the renowned Manchester United before the start of a new season – led Manchester United to sign him in August 2003 for a transfer fee of 19 million euros.
At Manchester United, Ronaldo asserted himself as one of the best players in the world by winning 3 Premier League championships, 1 Champions League title, 1 FA Cup, 2 League Cup titles, and many more honors. In the Manchester United jersey, the young man at the time impressed fans worldwide with his all-around play, stable ball handling skills, good dribbling ability, and consistent goal scoring and creating.
His impressive form earned Ronaldo numerous individual awards, with the pinnacle of glory being the Ballon d’Or in 2008, an award that solidified his status as number one in the football world. Since then, Ronaldo has never looked back, becoming even more prominent. He set a world record for transfer value when he joined Real Madrid in 2009 and continued to affirm himself as one of the greatest players in the history of world football.
CR7 later moved to Juventus and has now returned to Manchester United. He is also the captain of the Portuguese national team and has won 2 international titles, the Euro and the Nations League.
Lionel Messi’s Career Summary
His full name is Lionel Andres Messi, born on June 24, 1987, in Rosario, Argentina.
Lionel Messi began his football career in 1994 at Newell’s Old Boys before moving to Barcelona’s training academy in 2000, at the age of 13. His innate football talent helped him rise through the club’s youth teams, and just after three years, he made his debut in a friendly match against FC Porto on November 16, 2003, at the age of 16.
But Messi’s first official match came almost a year later, in an away derby match against Espanyol on October 16, 2004. From then on, Messi progressed in the Barcelona jersey, scoring his first goal in 2005 and gradually asserting himself as one of the greatest football players, winning 7 Ballon d’Or awards, 10 La Liga championships, 4 Champions League titles, 1 World Cup championship, and many more honors.
5 Reasons Showing Ronaldo is Better than Messi
Of course, it’s not easy to conclude who is superior, as both Ronaldo and Messi have dominated the pinnacle of world football for over a decade, winning almost every coveted trophy. Therefore, both deserve to be honored rather than compared. However, for loyal fans, the debate over who the real GOAT is is inevitable. So why do many people believe Ronaldo is better than Messi?
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Ronaldo is a More Complete Player Messi is a genius; his strength lies in his skillful left foot, magical dribbling ability, and natural ball play. However, Messi also has some significant weaknesses, such as heading ability or physicality in tense contests with opponents.
On the other hand, Ronaldo has almost no weaknesses: he can proficiently use both feet, can score with his head, and has outstanding physical strength. His high jumping ability and perfect heading have even earned him nicknames like CR7 Airways. And if we track young Ronaldo from his early days at Sporting Lisbon, Manchester United, and Real Madrid, we’ll see that he’s very skilled in dribbling and creating.
Another characteristic that proves Ronaldo’s all-around playing ability is his threat to the opponent’s goal in every minute of the match: statistics show that Ronaldo is the first player in football history to score in every minute of the 90-minute official play.
Furthermore, Ronaldo currently has 57 hat-tricks in his career, an astounding figure even though Messi is only 2 hat-tricks behind. But what’s particularly special is that CR7 has scored 9 “perfect hat-tricks,” meaning 3 goals scored with both left foot, right foot, and head in a single match. Meanwhile, Messi has never achieved such a perfect hat-trick.
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Ronaldo Scores More Goals As of now, CR7 has scored 851 goals in his career compared to Messi’s 819 goals. Ronaldo is also the top scorer in the Champions League and the player with the most goals for the national team: 123 goals compared to Messi’s 104.
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Ronaldo Shines in Crucial Moments A great player is someone who can overcome pressure and shine in crucial moments to lift the entire team. Ronaldo is a prime example of this. He has many times “carried the team” in major competitions, even helping the team successfully turn the tide when trailing. Meanwhile, Messi sometimes “disappears” in important matches.
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Ronaldo Has Achieved More at the Highest Level Ronaldo not only possesses more all-around playing ability and scores more goals, but he also demonstrates his stature in the three top leagues he has played in (England, Spain, and Italy), as well as winning the highest continental competition for both club and national team. It can be said that wherever Ronaldo has been, he has left an indelible mark.
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Ronaldo is Better in Set Pieces Set pieces are crucial, and sometimes they can be the key to victory in a match, including penalties, free kicks, and corners.
Ronaldo is a master of set pieces. This is evidenced by the statistics up to this point: CR7 has scored 141 penalties (out of a total of 169 attempts) compared to Messi’s 101 goals (out of a total of 130 attempts). Thus, Messi’s penalty success rate is 77.7% compared to Ronaldo’s 83
