Messi10/03/2007
Hat-trick at Camp Nou aged 19, rescuing Barça with 10 men in a 3-3 draw
Career head-to-head
RonaldovsMessi
Messi vs Ronaldo, compared on every number that counts — career goals, trophies and Ballons d'Or, then the nine seasons they spent settling it face to face in El Clásico.
The career numbers
Cristiano Ronaldo has scored more career goals (976 to 919), while Lionel Messi has won more Ballons d'Or (8 to 5) and more team trophies (48 to 37) — and Messi scores at the better rate, 0.79 goals per game to Ronaldo's 0.73. Ronaldo leads on Champions Leagues (5–4) and international goals (146–125); Messi is the only one of the two with a World Cup. Both are still playing, so these totals are live.
| Cristiano Ronaldo | Statistic | Lionel Messi |
|---|---|---|
| 976 | Career goals | 919 |
| 1,330 | Career appearances | 1,165 |
| 261 | Career assists | 418 |
| 0.73 | Goals per game | 0.79 |
| 5 | Ballons d'Or | 8 |
| 37 | Team trophies | 48 |
| 5 | Champions Leagues | 4 |
| 0 | World Cups | 1 |
| 146 | International goals | 125 |
| 233 | International caps | 207 |
Career figures as of August 2026, via messivsronaldo.app — both players are active, so goals, appearances and assists move. Trophy counts are team honours only; trackers that fold individual awards into the same total publish a higher figure for both players.
In El Clásico
In El Clásico, Lionel Messi scored 26 goals to Cristiano Ronaldo's 18 — and Messi is the all-time top scorer in the fixture's history. He also leads on appearances (45 to 30) and hat-tricks (2–0). In the 30 Clásicos the two contested head-to-head (November 2009 – May 2018), Messi's Barcelona won 16, Ronaldo's Real Madrid won 10, with 4 draws.
| Cristiano Ronaldo | Statistic | Lionel Messi |
|---|---|---|
| 18 | El Clásico goals | 26 |
| 30 | El Clásico appearances | 45 |
| 0 | Hat-tricks | 2 |
| 10 | Clásicos won head-to-head * | 16 |
| No | All-time Clásico top scorer | Yes |
Messi recorded 14 El Clásico assists to Ronaldo's 1 (Ronaldo's assist tally is reported as 1–3 across sources). * Win row shows the team result when both players started: 16 Barcelona, 10 Real Madrid, 4 draws across 30 shared Clásicos.
Real Madrid
Cristiano Ronaldo
- Clásico goals
- 18
- Clásico apps
- 30
- Assists
- 1
- Hat-tricks
- 0
FC Barcelona
Lionel Messi
- Clásico goals
- 26
- Clásico apps
- 45
- Assists
- 14
- Hat-tricks
- 2
Shared Clásicos
30 matches with both on the pitch
10
Ronaldo-led Madrid wins
4
Draws
16
Messi-led Barça wins
Iconic moments
The defining Clásicos
Messi27/04/2011
Solo run goal at the Bernabéu — UCL semi-final 2-0 win
Ronaldo21/04/2012
Winner at Camp Nou, finger-to-lips celebration; clinched La Liga for Mourinho's Madrid
Messi23/03/2014
Hat-trick at the Bernabéu in 4-3 Barça win
Messi23/04/2017
500th Barça goal, last-minute winner at the Bernabéu, holds up shirt to the crowd
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