Ronaldo vs Messi: The numbers compared

Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi will be playing their fifth, and probably last, World Cup in Qatar. Argentina and Paris Saint-Germain player Messi, 35, announced in October that World Cup 2022 will be his last, while the 37-year-old Portugal and Manchester United player Ronaldo has yet to comment on his international future. For more than a decade now, the football world has debated who is better. The discussion is likely to continue long after they hang up their boots. As the two giants of the game reach the twilight of their careers, we take a look at their performances over more than 17 years of playing football at the highest level. Internationals Ronaldo has played 191 international matches compared with Messi’s 164, prior to Argentina’s World Cup opener against Saudi Arabia. The former Real Madrid star’s international career began in 2003, while Messi, who left Barcelona last year for Paris, played his first international game two years later against Hungary. When it comes to their scoring record, Ronaldo is far ahead of his Argentinian rival. The Manchester United star has scored 117 times, a record. Messi has 90 goals to his name. Both players have one major regional competition at international level, with Ronaldo winning the European Championship in 2016 and Messi clinching the Copa America in 2021.

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Ronaldo vs Messi: The numbers compared