A historic controversy continues to arise when we compare Messi against Ronaldo to establish the true greatest of all time. Worldwide football fanbases maintain an active discussion on who deserves the title of Greatest of All Time (GOAT) between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. These two footballing legends have refined the game with their goals, skills, and superb performances throughout the years.
The rivalry between Messi and Ronaldo is considered to be one of the greatest rivalries in sports entertainment, which was even more interesting as they both were the players of Barcelona and Real Madrid, the greatest rivals in football. So who is the Greatest of All Time? Some people think it’s Messi, while others believe it’s Ronaldo. Let’s dive into the story of 2 icons of world football to determine who is the Greatest of All Time.
Early years: The start of the rivalry
Ronaldo made his professional debut for Sporting Lisbon in the 02/03 season, scoring 5 goals and assisting 6. The debut season of Ronaldo had all the glimpses and shine of a future star. Ronaldo attracted big clubs like Manchester United, Arsenal, Barcelona, and Real Madrid; few of them were interested in signing the young Portuguese. Ronaldo lit the world on fire after his spectacular performance in the preseason game against Manchester United, earning him the move to Manchester United. Sir Alex, the manager of Manchester United, was so impressed he signed the 18-year-old Portuguese after the match.
On the other hand, Messi was still a La Masia product, hoping to make it into the first team of Barcelona, which was full of footballing icons like Ronaldinho. Ronaldo won the FA Cup and also scored 6 goals and provided 9 assists in the first season, whereas Messi was yet to make a professional debut for FC Barcelona. Messi finally made his debut for Barcelona in the 2004-2005 season. He was a bit of a player for Barcelona, still trying to make a name for himself. On the other hand, Ronaldo continued to mesmerize the football world, scoring 9 goals and providing 8 assists. In the 2005-2006 season, Messi began to be a regular starter for Barcelona, contributing to their La Liga and Champions League victories.
For the next few years, both Messi and Ronaldo continued to impress the football world with their brilliant performances. Initially, Ronaldo had the upper hand as he scored 42 goals in the 2007-2008 season, where he was crowned with the Ballon d’Or. Ronaldo won the Champions League and the Premier League with Manchester United, where his team also managed to beat Messi’s Barcelona in the semi-final of the Champions League. The following year Messi came with a point to prove, scoring 47 goals and providing 12 assists, leading Barcelona to a treble. During this run, Ronaldo’s Manchester United again met with Messi’s Barcelona in the final of the Champions League, but this time Messi had other ideas. Messi went on to win the final of the Champions League and the Ballon d’Or ahead of Ronaldo.
Prime Years: The rivalry at its peak
The rivalry for the greatest of all time moved to its next chapter when Ronaldo joined Real Madrid, the archrivals of Barcelona, for the fee of 80 million pounds, making him the most expensive signing in the history of football. Although Ronaldo was the most expensive player in the history of football, he was continuously outshined by Lionel Messi for the next few years. Ronaldo would score goal after goal, but it still was not enough to outshine Lionel Messi. For the next few years, Messi went on to win 4 consecutive Ballon d’Or and also set the world record by scoring 91 goals in a single calendar year, whereas Ronaldo was considered the second-best player after Lionel Messi. But this was just the beginning of the rivalry. In the 2012-13 season, Ronaldo scored 69 goals and went on to win the Ballon d’Or and FIFA World Player of the Year.
In 2013-14 Ronaldo won the Ballon d’Or and the Champions League and was able to set a record of scoring 17 goals in a single Champions League campaign. Messi again took the lead after successfully leading his team to a historic treble (La Liga, Copa del Rey, and Champions League). He was instrumental in the success, scoring 58 goals and providing 28 assists in all competitions. In the following 3 seasons, Ronaldo took the upper hand by winning 3 consecutive Champions Leagues and the first major title with his country and finally equaled Messi’s 5 Ballon d’Ors in the year 2017.
Later Years: New Challenges and Continued Dominance
In 2018, Ronaldo moved away from Real Madrid and joined Juventus, seeking a new challenge. He scored 37 goals and won the Serie A with Juventus, but Messi also had a fantastic season with Barcelona, scoring 31 goals and providing 25 assists in all competitions, winning the Ballon d’Or for a record sixth time. In 2021, Messi won the first trophy with Argentina, leading them to the Copa America, winning the Golden Boot and Best Player awards in the competition.
After 2017, Messi went on to win 3 more Ballon d’Or, whereas Ronaldo was not able to win 1. Messi continued to dominate the rivalry for the next few years, where he was able to win the World Cup with Argentina in 2024, putting an end to this rivalry in the opinion of many people. Even though Ronaldo became the first player to score 900 goals in professional football, he is still not considered to be the greatest of all time by many people, as he is unable to win the World Cup for his country.
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