Ballon d’Or Messi vs Ronaldo: Who will win? goals & stats comparison

Ballon d’Or Messi vs Ronaldo Prediction: The world no. 2 players have captivated the GOAT debate like Messi vs Ronaldo. The greatest conundrum in world football since the Pele, Maradona debate. The question of who is the better of the two has dominated the minds of football fans everywhere for the past decade and will persist into the future.

Club and national allegiances can muddle judgement, while personalities have a role in how well a player is regarded, and most people already know who they’d pick.

Who is the greatest of all time, then? Regardless of who you prefer, we’ve looked at how the two stack up in a head-to-head matchup so you can go into the debate completely equipped.

Ballon d’Or Messi vs Ronaldo: Who will win?

Argentine striker Lionel Messi has finally won the 47th edition of Copa America silenced everyone, but would he win Ballon d’Or 2024?

Ballon d’Or Messi vs Ronaldo

Goal Comparison

The 2 are arguably the greatest goal scorers the world has seen. Let us take a look at the season-wise goal scoring exploits of Messi vs Ronaldo.

Cristiano RonaldoSeasonLionel Messi
52002-03
62003-04
92004-051
122005-068
232006-0717
422007-0816
262008-0938
332009-1047
532010-1153
602011-1273
552012-1360
512013-1441
612014-1558
512015-1641
422016-1754
442017-1845
282018-1951
372019-2031
362020-2138
674Total672

Although Cristiano leads the category, it is to be noted that Messi has played over 140 games less than the Portuguese goal machine.

Assist Comparison

Lionel Messi is fabled to be one of the greatest creators of all time. The Argentine regularly mentioned as one of the best at unlocking defences and putting chances on a plate for his teammates.

Cristiano RonaldoSeasonLionel Messi
72009-1011
162010-1121
152011-1229
122012-1314
142013-1411
212014-1527
152015-1623
112016-1716
82017-1818
102018-1919
52019-2025
52020-2112
139Total226

Messi is far superior to Ronaldo in terms of assists, and the disparity has grown even more prominent as their roles have evolved.

International Performances

Playing for your country is one of the complete feelings of a footballer. The 2 have been great servants to their respective nations. They have been the main driving force behind their countries, national teams for the past decade.

Cristiano RonaldoStatLionel Messi
173International caps142
103International goals71
0.6Goals per game0.5

Ronaldo is arguably the greatest international goal scorer of all time. Messi, who trails the ex-Real man, outshines him once again when it comes to international assists.

Tittles Won

Taking home trophies has been a routine for the two throughout their career. The Argentine edging out Ronaldo.

Cristiano RonaldoCompetitionLionel Messi
0World Cup0
1European Championship / Copa America1
0Olympics1
7League titles10
5Champions League4
4Club World Cup3
4National Cups*7
21Total26

Individual Honors

Messi and Ronaldo have dominated the international scene for the past decade, collecting individual accolades by the dozen. Let us take a look at how they shape up against each other here.

Cristiano RonaldoAwardLionel Messi
5Ballon d’Or6
2The Best FIFA Men’s Player1
4European Golden Shoe6
0World Cup Golden Ball1
4UEFA Player of the Year3
14FIFPro World XI14
4Player of the Year (league)6

Conclusion: Ballon d’Or Messi vs Ronaldo

The individual accolades show us how close the battle for supremacy has been over the years. We, as football fans, must be grateful to witness such a rivalry in our time.

READ: Ballon d’Or 2024 Rankings: Messi, Ronaldo, Mbappe & Contenders Who Could Win the Award

The fight the be the greatest ever will rage on for a few more years to come, by the looks of it. Regardless of who comes out on top, the legacy of the two top athletes will remain immortalised in the sport.

But this year, Messi will win the Ballon d’Or 2024, as he was the top goal-scorer in the tournament, won the golden boot of Copa America and La Liga.