Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are super amazing soccer players. They’ve been playing at the top level for a really long time, and many people think they’re the greatest ever! But who’s better? We’re going to look at lots of different things they do in soccer and then you can decide who you think is the ultimate winner!
Who scores more goals?
People were really hyped about Messi and Ronaldo facing off because they scored loads of goals! Just think about scoring more than one goal every time you play soccer – that’s what they did at their peak! During Ronaldo’s time at Real Madrid, which lasted 9 years, both Messi and Ronaldo scored a goal roughly every 85 minutes! Their goal-scoring rates were so close that it made watching them really exciting, even for people who bet on sports on 1xBet India.
If we look at their whole careers, Messi actually scores a tiny bit more goals per game than Ronaldo – Messi gets about 0.79 goals per game, while Ronaldo gets about 0.73 goals per game. And if we break it down into how often they score, Messi scores a goal every 105 minutes, while Ronaldo scores one every 112 minutes.
Even though Messi scores a bit more often, Ronaldo has scored more goals overall in his career – Ronaldo has scored 885 goals and Messi has scored 826 goals. But Ronaldo has played more games than Messi, about 163 more games.
One interesting thing is that Ronaldo didn’t start out as focused on scoring goals as Messi did. Ronaldo was more of a traditional winger at first, but then he started focusing more on scoring goals around 2006, a few years into his career. Messi took a bit longer, about 2-3 years, to become really hungry for scoring goals. So if we think about how they started differently, their scoring numbers would be even closer.
Who provides more assists?
When it comes to helping out teammates and making awesome passes in soccer, Lionel Messi is the clear winner. He’s really good at setting up goals for his teammates, and he’s got the numbers to prove it.
Messi has made an amazing 363 assists in 1052 games he’s played throughout his career. In comparison, Ronaldo has made 250 assists, but he’s played more games, 1215 in total.
Even though Messi is better at assists, sometimes people forget that Ronaldo is still really good at it too. Ronaldo has made more assists than Messi in the Champions League, with 41 assists compared to Messi’s 40. However, Ronaldo has played more Champions League games than Messi, so it’s still impressive.
So, Messi is the assist king overall, but Ronaldo is no slouch in this department either!
Who’s the best at passing?
When it comes to passing the ball to set up goals, Lionel Messi is the clear winner. He’s really good at making key passes and throughballs.
Since 2009/10, Messi has made an incredible 1400 key passes in 599 games in both the league and Champions League. Ronaldo, on the other hand, has made 941 key passes in 561 games during the same period.
Messi also dominates in making throughballs, with 450 successful ones compared to Ronaldo’s 81.
While Messi’s passing numbers are much higher than Ronaldo’s, it’s important to remember that Ronaldo’s passing skills are still impressive. Plus, before 2009, Ronaldo was more involved in setting up plays, so his passing stats might have been even better back then.
Who’s the best at dribbling?
Ronaldo began his soccer career as a tricky winger, using his speed and skill to beat defenders. But as he shifted to a more central attacking role over time, dribbling became less important in his style of play.
Similarly, Messi started out on the wing but later moved to a central position, where he acts more like a playmaker than a traditional striker. Messi’s unique playing style, often dropping back to get the ball, means dribbling is still a big part of his game.
Messi has completed an incredible 3099 successful dribbles in league and Champions League games since 2003/04, compared to Ronaldo’s 1682.
So, when it comes to dribbling, Messi is definitely the top dog.
Who’s the best at heading?
When it comes to heading the ball, Ronaldo is way ahead of Messi. Ronaldo has scored 148 goals with his head in 1215 games throughout his career, while Messi has only scored 27 headers in 1052 games.
Not only that, but Ronaldo has also won 781 aerial duels in league and Champions League matches since 2009/10, compared to Messi’s 116.
Considering their physical builds, playing styles, and the tactics of their teams, it’s not surprising that Ronaldo is much better at heading than Messi.
Who’s the best at shooting?
The numbers show that Ronaldo takes more shots at the goal than Messi, with 3676 shots compared to Messi’s 2958 since 2009/10.
But Messi is more accurate and efficient with his shots. He scores a goal with every 5.27 shots, while Ronaldo scores with every 6.43 shots. Messi also gets more of his shots on target, with 47.16% compared to Ronaldo’s 41.10%.
Even though Messi is more efficient, Ronaldo’s ability to consistently take shots is impressive. Plus, Ronaldo is better at shooting from long-range, with his weaker foot, and with his head. So, in the end, it’s a tie between them in this category.
