Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are considered among the best players ever to grace the sport. Furthermore, their soccer rivalry is considered one of the greatest rivalries to exist in any sport. The duo frequently clashed during their time in Spain.
Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi played against each other for nine seasons while playing for Real Madrid and Barcelona respectively. Seeing them both playing against each other at the peak of their careers was a treat to any neutral soccer fans.
Fans frequently debate determining who, in their opinion, is the Greatest Player of All Time (GOAT). Both of the players have a dedicated fan base. Furthermore, there is an ongoing debate about who has won more trophies in their soccer careers.
Ronaldo’s time at Juventus: 101 goals and 5 trophies
Messi’s time at PSG: 30 goals and 2 trophies
Leaving your comfort zone is only easy for some. pic.twitter.com/aGHQlhq5MS
— M (@madridfooty_) May 3, 2023
Lionel Messi‘s recent World Cup win puts him at the front of this debate. However, Ronaldo fans would argue that the Portuguese is still a better player than Messi.
Regardless of any of these, soccer fans all over concur they are both the best players of their generation. They have both exceeded their contemporaries in the sport.
Cristiano Ronaldo is usually praised for his goalscoring abilities, physical characteristics, leadership qualities, and his performance under pressure. On the other Lionel Messi is praised for his dribbling abilities, playmaking abilities, and goalscoring abilities.
Trophies won by Cristiano Ronaldo with club
Ronaldo started his soccer career at Sporting Lisbon. The player has since then played for Manchester United, Real Madrid, and Juventus. He returned to Manchester United for a second spell. However, the second stint was not as successful as the first time.
The player is currently playing for the Saudi Arabian club Al-Nassr after his unsuccessful stint at Manchester United. Ronaldo joined Al-Nassr at a record transfer fee thus making him the highest paid athlete in the world.
Ronaldo has won at least one trophy at each club before joining Al-Nassr. During his time at Manchester United, he won his first UCL in his career. Furthermore, the player won three consecutive Premier League (2006/07, 2007/08, 2008/09) titles with Manchester United under manager Sir Alex Fergusson.
Cristiano Ronaldo won 1 FA Cup (2003/04), 1 Champions League (2007/08), 1 FIFA Club World Cup (2008), 1 Community Shield (2007), and 2 EFL Cups (2005/06, 2008/09) at the English club.
Following his time at Manchester United, the player join Real Madrid in 2008. Ronaldo peaked his career at Real Madrid. Ronaldo won three consecutive UCL (2015/16, 2016/17, 2017/18) with the Los Blancos and is considered one of their brightest stars.
The player won 2 La Liga (2011/12, 2016/17), 2 Copa Del Rey (2010/11, 2013/14), 2 Super Cups (2012, 2017), 4 Champions League (2013/14, 2015/16, 2016/17, 2017/18), 2 UEFA Super Cup (2014, 2017), and 3 FIFA Club World Cup (2014,2016, 2017) with the Spanish team.
The 38-year-old joined the Italian club Juventus to further grow in the game. There the player won 2 Serie A (2018/19, 2019/20), 1 Coppa Italia (2020/21), and 2 Italian Super Cup (2018, 2020). However, the player eventually left the Italian club and returned to his old club Manchester United.
Ronaldo’s achievements with his national team
Ronaldo has won two major trophies with his national team Portugal. He captained the national team to win the Euro Cup as well as the Nations League Cup. Furthermore, the player also won the U20 Toulon Tournament (2003) with the youth team.
He has however failed to win the World Cup with his Portuguese National team, unlike his long-time rival Lionel Messi.
Individual trophies won by Ronaldo
The player’s contribution to the sport has not gone unnoticed by anyone. He has been acknowledged for the contribution he provided to his team, which helped them to win multiple titles.
The Ballon d’Or award is one the highest form of acknowledgment soccer could ever receive in their career. Ronaldo has won the award on five different occasions. He is the second player to receive the award five times, only coming second to Lionel Messi who received the award seven times in his career.
He has also won the FIFA World Player of the Year/Best Men’s Player award thrice in his career. Furthermore, he even received The Best FIFA Special Award for Outstanding Career Achievement award in 2021. He received the award for breaking the record for most international goals ever scored by a male soccer player.
Many fans believe that Lionel Messi has overtaken Ronaldo with his World Cup win last year in the all-time rankings. However, many Ronaldo fans believe that the Portuguese player is still at the top. While other fans believe that comparing the two players based on their trophy collection is unfair and as fans, they should just enjoy watching the best players play against each other.
