Messi–Ronaldo rivalry

The Messi–Ronaldo rivalry, or Ronaldo–Messi rivalry, is a sporting rivalry in football propelled by the media and fans that involves Argentine footballer Lionel Messi and Portuguese footballer Cristiano Ronaldo, mainly for being contemporaries and for their similar records and sporting success.[1] They spent nine seasons in the prime of their careers facing off regularly while playing for rival clubs Barcelona and Real Madrid.

A man in a red shirt looks to his right. This article is part of a series about
Cristiano Ronaldo

Portuguese professional footballer

Eponyms and public art

Films
Lionel Messi This article is part of a series about
Lionel Messi

Argentine professional footballer

Eponyms and public art

Media

Family
Cristiano Ronaldo (left) and Lionel Messi before an international friendly between Argentina and Portugal in Geneva, Switzerland, 9 February 2011

Together they have achieved various historical milestones in the sport, coming to be considered as two of the best players of all time. They are two of the most decorated footballers ever, having won a combined 79 official trophies (Messi 44, Ronaldo 35) during their senior careers thus far, and have regularly broken the 50-goal barrier in a single season. They are the only two players to score over 800 goals each in their careers for club and country. Ronaldo holds the record for most official goals in a career.

A cigarette strap bin titled in Polish "Who is the better player?" in an attempt to establish who the best player is among the duo.

Journalists and pundits regularly argue the individual merits of both players in an attempt to establish who they believe is the best player in modern football or ever. Regardless of preference, football critics generally agree that they are both the best players of their generation, outperforming their peers by a significant margin.[2] Ronaldo has received praise for his physical attributes, goalscoring skills, leadership and performance under pressure, while Messi is lauded for his combination of dribbling, playmaking, passing and goalscoring.[3] It has been compared to past global sports rivalries such as the Muhammad Ali–Joe Frazier rivalry in boxing, the Prost–Senna rivalry in motorsport, and the tennis rivalries between Federer–Nadal and Borg–McEnroe.[4][5][6] Some commentators choose to analyse the differing physiques and playing styles of the two,[7] while part of the debate revolves around the contrasting personalities of the two players; Ronaldo is sometimes described as someone of temperamental character while Messi is considered to have a more reserved personality.[8]

After Messi led Argentina to victory in the 2022 FIFA World Cup, a number of football critics, commentators and players have opined that Messi has settled the debate between the two players.[upper-alpha 1]

History

Origins

In 2007, Ronaldo and Messi finished as runners-up to AC Milan's Kaká in both the Ballon d'Or, an award rewarded to the player voted as the best in the world by an international panel of sports journalists, and the FIFA World Player of the Year, an award voted for by coaches and captains of international teams. In an interview that year, Messi was quoted as saying that "Cristiano Ronaldo is an extraordinary player and it would be brilliant to be in the same team as him."[12][13]

They first played in a game against each other when Manchester United were drawn to play Barcelona in the 2007–08 UEFA Champions League semi-finals and were immediately pitted as major rivals.[14][15][16] Ronaldo missed a penalty in the first leg,[17] but United eventually advanced to the final via a Paul Scholes goal.[18]

The 2009 UEFA Champions League Final was contested between Manchester United and Barcelona on 27 May 2009 at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome, Italy. The match, described as a "dream clash",[19] was again hyped as the latest battle between the two, this time to settle who was the best player in the world.[20][21] Ronaldo explained to always go out on to the field believing he is the best. "For me, you have to have that confidence at all times. That's what makes me the player I am."[22] Messi's club-mate Xavi sided with his fellow Barcelona player: "Messi is the best player in the world by a distance, he's the No1."[23] Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson was more diplomatic, praising both players as being amongst the world's elite talents.[24][25] Barca successfully kept United at arm's length to win 2-0, with Messi scoring a rare header for his team's second goal.[26]

El Clásico
Main article: El Clásico

On 11 June 2009, Manchester United accepted an offer of £80 million (€94 million) for Ronaldo to be transferred to Barcelona's El Clásico rivals Real Madrid.[27][28] The transfer was confirmed on 1 July.[29][30]

From 2009 to 2018, the two played against each other at least twice per season during El Clásico matches but also met many other times in competitions such as the Copa del Rey, the Supercopa de España, and a two-legged Champions League semi-final in 2011.[31] This period was the most competitive in El Clásico history, with both players being their clubs' all-time top scorers. The two players alternated as top scorers in La Liga and the Champions League during most seasons while they were with Real Madrid and Barcelona.[32]

2009–10

In the first league meeting of the two players, on 29 November 2009, it was Messi's Barcelona who came out on top, winning 1–0 with a goal from Zlatan Ibrahimović.[33] In the second El Clásico of the season, Messi scored his 40th goal of the season in a 2–0 win.[34] Messi was said to have made a fool out of Ronaldo by the Spanish press, which claimed that Ronaldo's "reign in the football world has ended".[35]

2010–11

On 20 November 2010, the pair both scored hat-tricks on the same day for the first time; Ronaldo hit three goals against Athletic Bilbao in a 5–1 win, while Messi scored three as Barcelona thrashed Almería 8–0.[36][37] The achievement was said to have proven why they are widely considered "the world's best players".[38]

The two players faced each other whilst representing their international sides for the first time on 9 February 2011, as Argentina played Portugal in a friendly in Geneva, Switzerland, their first meeting for 40 years.[39][40][41] Both players were on the scoresheet, with Ronaldo scoring an equaliser before Messi scored an 89th-minute penalty to win the game 2–1.[42][43]

The two came face-to-face in four pulsating games in the season finale,[44] and the fixtures were hyped as the definitive games as to which of the two was the better player.[45][46][47][48][49] In the first game of the series on 16 April 2011, Messi scored a 51st-minute penalty to give Barcelona the lead until the 82nd minute, when Ronaldo scored a penalty of his own to give Real Madrid a share of the points.[50] In the second game, the 2011 Copa del Rey Final, Ronaldo scored the only goal of the game in extra time to give Real Madrid a 1–0 win, and the club's first trophy under manager José Mourinho.[51] The third game was the first leg of the Champions League semi-final. The match was ugly and ill-tempered, with Madrid's Pepe sent off and both Madrid's coach José Mourinho and Barcelona's substitute goalkeeper José Manuel Pinto sent to the stands, before Messi provided two moments of magic,[52][53][54] including one described as "one of the best goals in Champions League history",[55] to give Barcelona a two-goal lead in the tie.[56] Following the game, Messi was praised as both the current best in the world and amongst the greatest players of all time.[57][58][59] Of the seven goals scored in the four games, Messi scored three and Ronaldo scored two.[60]

2011–12
Messi finished the 2012 calendar year with 91 goals to his name, breaking the previous record held by Gerd Müller and winning his fourth consecutive FIFA Ballon d'Or in the process.

On 24 September 2011, both players scored a hat-trick on the same day for the second time; Ronaldo scored three in a 6–2 win against Rayo Vallecano, and Messi scored three in a 5–0 win over Atlético Madrid.[61][62]

Having been drawn against each other in the Copa Del Rey quarter-finals later in the month, Ronaldo scored a goal in each game, but Barcelona advanced 4–3 on aggregate.[63][64]

On 21 April 2012, Ronaldo scored the winning goal in El Clásico as Real Madrid won 2–1 and closed in on the league championship.[65]

2012–13

In the first El Clásico of the season on 7 October 2012, both players scored twice in a 2–2 at the Camp Nou, the sixth straight match between the two clubs that Ronaldo had scored in.[66][67] Ronaldo scored in the 23rd minute to put Madrid 1–0 in front, then Messi scored two either side of half-time to put Barcelona in the lead, but for only five minutes before Ronaldo scored a 66th-minute equaliser.[68] Messi finished the calendar year of 2012 with an all-time record of 91 goals for both club and country, overtaking Gerd Müller's record of 85 goals.[69][70]

At the end of January, the players scored hat-tricks on the same day for the third time; Ronaldo scored three against Getafe as Real Madrid won 4–0 before Messi went one better by scoring four goals against Osasuna as Barcelona won 5–1.[71][72] It was Ronaldo's 20th hat-trick and Messi's 200th career league goal.[73] In the Copa Del Rey semi-final second leg, Ronaldo scored two goals to help Real Madrid advance to the final in a 3–1 victory.[74][75] The goals meant he had scored in six consecutive El Clásico's at the Nou Camp.[76]

2013–14
By the end of the 2013–14 UEFA Champions League season, Ronaldo had broken the record for the most goals scored by a player in a single season, finding the back of the net 17 times to help Real Madrid win a record tenth title.

In September 2013, the players scored hat-tricks on the same Champions League matchday for the first time; Ronaldo scored three against Galatasaray as Real Madrid won 6–1, while a day later Messi scored a hat-trick against Ajax as Barcelona won 4–0.[77][78] This latest accomplishment was said to "defy the accepted wisdom that football is a team game".[79]

In the second El Clásico of the season on 23 March 2014, Messi became the all-time top scorer in the fixture after he scored a hat-trick, including two penalty kicks, as Barcelona defeated Real Madrid 4–3, while Ronaldo also scored a goal from the penalty spot which initially put Real Madrid 3–2 in front; it was a match described as "astonishing", "thrilling" and "the best Clasico in recent years".[80][81][82]

2014–15

At the start of the season, the race to beat Raúl's Champions League goal scoring record of 71 goals dominated the headlines,[83][84] with Messi beating Ronaldo to equal the record when he scored against Ajax on 5 November,[85] and beating the record on 25 November with three goals against APOEL in a 4–0 victory.[86] Following this milestone goal, Barcelona manager Luis Enrique claimed Messi was the "greatest player of all time".[87] Ronaldo equalled Raúl's tally on 26 November when he scored the only goal of the game against Basel.[88]

For the second time in the season, the two players faced each other, this time in the shirts of their respective nations at Old Trafford, and was their last meeting before the announcement of the 2014 FIFA Ballon d'Or. The British press called the match an "international version of the Premier League's 39th game", which claimed that it "offers unique opportunity for a new seam of support to become embroiled in the Ronaldo v Messi arguments".[89] Portugal defeated Argentina 1–0, although neither Ronaldo nor Messi appeared on the score sheet.[90]

On 3 November, in a 4–0 victory over Granada, Ronaldo made league history when he scored his 17th league goal of the season in just 10 games; the record was previously held by Isidro Lángara, who scored 16 goals in the first ten games of the 1935–36 season for Real Oviedo.[91] On 22 November, Messi equalled, and then went past, Telmo Zarra's goalscoring record of 251 when he scored a hat-trick against Sevilla.[92][93] Luis Enrique praised him following the achievement, saying that he is "one-of-a-kind and we'll never see anyone like him ever again and we are privileged to have him and be able to watch him".[94] On 6 December, Ronaldo overtook Zarra's record of 22 La Liga hat-tricks, which he jointly held with Alfredo Di Stéfano, when he scored three against Celta Vigo.[95] The goals meant he became the quickest player to reach 200 La Liga goals, accomplishing the feat in just 178 games, surpassing Zarra's record of 219 games to reach the milestone.[96][97] The following day, Messi responded by scoring his third hat-trick in his four games, his 21st La Liga hat-trick in total.[98][99] The continuous record breaking was said be down to the pairs' "spellbinding skill, relentless application, athletic charisma",[100] while journalist Sid Lowe said that this latest accomplishment "probably doesn't count as a story any more".[101]

On 5 April, Ronaldo scored five times in one game for the first time in his career, including an eight-minute hat-trick, in a 9–1 defeat of Granada in La Liga.[102] He followed this up on 8 April with a goal against Rayo Vallecano in a 2–0 victory; his 300th Real Madrid goal.[103] 10 days later, he became the second player in the history of football to score 50 or more goals in a season on five occasions, when he scored the third goal in a 3–1 victory against Málaga,[104] while earlier in the day, Messi scored his 400th Barcelona goal in a 2–0 win against Valencia.[105]

2015–16
On 30 September 2015, Ronaldo scored a brace (2 goals) during a Champions League match against Swedish side Malmö to surpass 500 career goals and become Real Madrid's joint all-time top goalscorer, equalling Raúl's record of 323 goals. He surpassed that record with a goal against Levante on 17 October 2015.

On 8 December 2015, Ronaldo set a Champions League record of 11 goals in the group stage after scoring four goals against Malmö.[106] His four-goal haul equalled a club record in the competition, jointly held by Alfredo Di Stéfano, Ferenc Puskás, and Hugo Sánchez.[107]

On 17 February 2016, Messi scored his 300th La Liga goal in a 1–3 away win against Sporting Gijon.[108] By scoring four goals in a 7–1 home win over Celta Vigo on 5 March, Ronaldo arrived at 252 goals in La Liga to become the competition's second-highest scorer in history behind Messi.[109] Ronaldo scored a hat-trick against Wolfsburg to send his club into the Champions League semi-finals despite a 2–0 first-leg defeat.[110] The treble took his tally in the competition to 16 goals, making him the top scorer for the fourth consecutive season and the fifth overall.[111]

Final meetings

Following Ronaldo's transfer to Juventus in the summer of 2018, the two faced each other only one more time in the next four seasons when Ronaldo's two goals from the penalty spot helped Juventus to a 3–0 away win against Messi's Barcelona in the 2020–21 UEFA Champions League group stage.[112]

On 21 January 2023, the two played each other for the first time in over two years, as a combined team featuring Al-Hilal and Ronaldo's Al-Nassr was defeated 4–5 by Messi's Paris Saint-Germain in an exhibition friendly in Riyadh. Messi scored once and Ronaldo twice in the game, which was described as potentially being the last-ever match featuring both players.[113]

Leaving Europe and end of rivalry

Both players left the European stage in 2023, with Ronaldo joining Al-Nassr in Saudi Arabia while Messi joined Inter Miami CF in the United States. The 2023–24 season was thus the first since 2002, when neither Messi nor Ronaldo played in Europe and it was seen by many as the end of an era.[114] Both transfers were described as "shocking" and were credited as being crucial in popularizing the sport in the Middle East and North America, and in helping establish them as the two rising powers in football outside of Europe.[115]

In August 2023, both of them won their first title with their new teams. Ronaldo helped Al-Nassr win the 2023 Arab Club Champions Cup for the first time in their history and was awarded the competition's top scorer award with six goals;[116] while Messi helped Inter Miami win the 2023 Leagues Cup, the first-ever trophy in the club's history, and was awarded the competition's top scorer award with ten goals as well as the competition's best player award.[117][118] In September 2023, Ronaldo declared that his rivalry with Messi was over and "gone", after 36 official fixtures and 15 years of "sharing the stage".[119]

Relationship between Messi and Ronaldo

In a 2016 interview, Ronaldo commented on the rivalry by saying: "I think we push each other sometimes in the competition, this is why the competition is so high."[120] Alex Ferguson, Ronaldo's manager during his time at Manchester United, opined: "I don't think the rivalry against each other bothers them. I think they have their own personal pride in terms of wanting to be the best."[121] Messi has denied any rivalry, and blames the media for creating it, stating that "only the media, the press, who wants us to be at loggerheads but I've never fought with Cristiano."[122]

It is widely argued and documented that there is an atmosphere of competition between the duo, with Guillem Balagué claiming in the book Ronaldo that he refers to his Argentine counterpart as a "motherfucker" behind his back.[123][124] Ronaldo denied the claims in a post on Facebook and threatened to take legal action over the remarks made by Balagué, writing that he has "the utmost respect for all my professional colleagues, and Messi is obviously no exception."[125] Luca Caioli wrote in his book Ronaldo: The Obsession for Perfection that, according to his sources, Ronaldo heats up when watching Messi play.[126] In response to claims that he and Messi do not get on well on a personal level, Ronaldo commented: "We don't have a relationship outside the world of football, just as we don't with a lot of other players", before adding that in years to come he hopes they can laugh about it together, stating: "We have to look on this rivalry with a positive spirit, because it's a good thing."[127] After Ronaldo's departure from Real Madrid to Juventus, Messi admitted to missing him, saying: "I miss Cristiano. Although it was a bit difficult to see him win trophies, he gave La Liga prestige."[128] During a joint interview at the UEFA Men's Player of the Year Award ceremony in 2019, Ronaldo said he would like to "have dinner together in the future", to which Messi later replied: "If I get an invitation, why not?"[129]

Awards and records
Main articles: List of career achievements by Lionel Messi and List of career achievements by Cristiano Ronaldo

"When they will not be there anymore, we will realise what they have given us. Both of them. I always refuse to make a hierarchy on that because they are two different players. Completely different players, but two exceptional players who have shown the world for 15 years how great football can be."

—FIFA's Chief of Global Football Development Arsène Wenger sums up the Lionel Messi vs Cristiano Ronaldo rivalry at The Best FIFA Football Awards 2022.[130]

Throughout the existence of the rivalry, the pair have dominated awards ceremonies and broken a multitude of goalscoring records for both club and country, feats which have been described as "incredible", "ridiculous" and "remarkable".[131][132][133] The rivalry itself has been described as one about records and reputation of the players, rather than one based in loathing.[134][135]

Messi is the all-time La Liga top scorer, as well as having the most assists in the competition's history – with Ronaldo in second for goals scored and in fourth for assists provided – while Ronaldo is the UEFA Champions League all-time top appearance maker, goalscorer and assist provider, with Messi in third for appearances and in second for both goals scored and assists provided in the competition's history. They are the first two players to score 100 goals in UEFA Champions League history.[136] Ronaldo also holds the records for most international caps and most international goals – with Messi ranked eleventh in appearances and third for goals scored.

The pair dominated the Ballon d'Or/The Best FIFA Men's Player awards since 2008, and UEFA Men's Player of the Year Award since 2014; in 2018, their longer than a decade triumph was interrupted by Luka Modrić, seen as "the end of an era".[137][138][139] In an interview for the France Football, Modrić stated that "history will say that a Croatian player, representing his small country, won the Ballon d'Or after Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, who are players at another level. Nobody has the right to compare themselves to them."

Ronaldo holds the record for most Ballon d'Or nominations with 18 while Messi is the second most-nominated footballer with 15. Messi won four consecutive Ballon d'Or awards (2009 to 2012), with a fifth coming in 2015, while Ronaldo had equalled Messi's total of five with wins in 2008, 2013, 2014, 2016, and 2017. In 2019, Messi took the lead again by earning his sixth Ballon d'Or, finishing just seven points ahead of second-placed Virgil van Dijk, with Ronaldo finishing third.[140] In 2020, the award was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic and in 2021, Messi won the Ballon d'Or for a seventh time. In total, Messi and Ronaldo reached the podium a record thirteen and twelve times, respectively. Combining Ballon d'Or, FIFA World Player of the Year and The Best FIFA Men's Player, Messi outperformed Ronaldo 10 to 8 in wins and 22 to 20 in podium finishes.

Both Messi and Ronaldo were also nominated a record 11 times for the UEFA Men's Player of the Year Award, with Ronaldo outperforming Messi 3 to 2 in wins and 9 to 6 in podium finishes.

The pair's goal-scoring prowess resulted in a number of individual top scorer accolades. Messi won eight Pichichi trophies and six European Golden Shoe awards (2010, 2012, 2013, 2017, 2018 and 2019). Ronaldo won the European Golden Shoe award on four occasions (2008, 2011, 2014 and 2015) and remains the only footballer with top-flight top scorer awards in England (2008), Spain (2011, 2014 and 2015) and Italy (2021). He was the Champions League top scorer on seven occasions, with Messi achieving this feat six times (including in 2015 when the pair finished joint-top).

Messi has won a world record 44 total official trophies (including a club record 35 major trophies as a Barcelona player), claiming twelve league titles, four Champions Leagues, seven Copa del Rey titles, eight Spanish Super Cups, one French Super Cup, three European Super Cups, three FIFA Club World Cups and one Leagues Cup.[141][142][118] Messi was runner-up at three Copa Américas and at the 2014 World Cup, before finally claiming his first major international trophy at the 2021 Copa América, where he was named best player.[143][144] The following year, Messi led Argentina to the 2022 World Cup trophy, where he won a record second Golden Ball award.[145]

Ronaldo has won 36 official trophies,[146] including seven league titles and five UEFA Champions Leagues, and guided Portugal to UEFA Euro 2016 and 2019 UEFA Nations League titles, the nation's first major trophies. He has won all national top-tier club competitions in England, Spain and Italy, including four national cups, two league cups, and seven national super cups. In addition, he won three European Super Cups,[147][148] four FIFA Club World Cups,[149] and one Arab Club Champions Cup.[116]

Player statistics

Club statistics
As of 25 August 2023
Lionel Messi
ClubSeasonLeagueCupContinentalOtherTotal
AppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
———————————————————————————————————
———————————————————————————————————
Barcelona
2004–057110100091
2005–06176216100258
2006–0726142251303617
2007–0828103096004016
2008–09312386129005138
2009–10353431118445347
2010–113331771312235553
2011–123750731114566073
2012–13324654118225060
2013–1431286578204641
2014–153843651310005758
2015–1633265576444941
2016–17343775911215254
2017–18363464106215445
2018–193436531012105051
2019–2033252283114431
2020–2135305365104738
Paris Saint-Germain
2021–222661075003411
2022–2332161074114121
Inter Miami
20230010—710810
Total 579[lower-alpha 1]49682561631293733861[lower-alpha 1]714
Cristiano Ronaldo
ClubSeasonLeagueCupContinentalOtherTotal
AppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Sporting CP
2002–03253323000315
Manchester
United
2003–04294625000406
2004–05335948000509
2005–063396281004712
2006–07341783113005323
2007–08343133118104942
2008–09331863124215326
Real Madrid
2009–1029260067003533
2010–11344087126005453
2011–123846531010215560
2012–133434771212225555
2013–143031631117004751
2014–153548211210525461
2015–163635001216004851
2016–172925211312244642
2017–182726001315434444
Juventus
2018–1931212096114328
2019–2033314284104637
2020–2133294264114436
2021–221000000010
Manchester
United
2021–2230181076003824
2022–23101006200163
Al Nassr
2022–23161420—101914
2023–242300106699
Total 669[lower-alpha 2]51584451961432821977[lower-alpha 2]724
Notes
  1. Not including second and third division matches (Barcelona B and C, 2003–05).
  2. Not including second division matches (Sporting CP B, 2002–03).

International statistics
As of 20 June 2023
Lionel Messi[150]
National team Year Competitive Friendly Total
Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
—————————————————
—————————————————
Argentina 2005 302050
2006 314172
2007 10442146
2008 612182
2009 8122103
2010 5052102
2011 8252134
2012 5547912
2013 532376
2014 7474148
2015 612384
2016 10810118
2017 542074
2018 411354
2019 6144105
2020 410041
2021 16900169
2022 1084101418
2023 003535
Total 121545449175103[151]
Cristiano Ronaldo[152]
National team Year Competitive Friendly Total
Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Portugal 200300 2 0 2 0
2004117 5 0 16 7
200572 4 0 11 2
2006104 4 2 14 6
200795 1 0 10 5
200851 3 0 8 1
200950 2 1 7 1
201063 5 0 11 3
201165 2 2 8 7
201294 4 1 13 5
201367 3 3 9 10
201453 4 2 9 5
201543 1 0 5 3
20161010 3 3 13 13
20171010 1 1 11 11
201844 3 2 7 6
20191014 0 0 10 14
202042 2 1 6 3
20211111 3 2 14 13
2022123 0 0 12 3
202345 0 0 4 5
Total 148 103 52 20 200 123[153]

Hat-tricks
As of 25 August 2023
Lionel Messi
No. For Against Result Competition Date
1 Barcelona Real Madrid3–3 (H)2006–07 La Liga10 March 2007
2 Atlético Madrid3–1 (A)2008–09 Copa del Rey6 January 2009
3 Tenerife5–0 (A)2009–10 La Liga10 January 2010
4 Valencia3–0 (H)2009–10 La Liga14 March 2010
5 Zaragoza4–2 (A)2009–10 La Liga21 March 2010
6 Arsenal 44–1 (H)2009–10 UEFA Champions League6 April 2010
7 Sevilla4–0 (H)2010 Supercopa de España21 August 2010
8 Almería8–0 (A)2010–11 La Liga20 November 2010
9 Real Betis5–0 (H)2010–11 Copa del Rey12 January 2011
10 Atlético Madrid3–0 (H)2010–11 La Liga5 February 2011
11 Osasuna8–0 (H)2011–12 La Liga17 September 2011
12 Atlético Madrid5–0 (H)2011–12 La Liga24 September 2011
13 Mallorca5–0 (H)2011–12 La Liga29 October 2011
14 Viktoria Plzeň4–0 (A)2011–12 UEFA Champions League1 November 2011
15 Málaga4–1 (A)2011–12 La Liga22 January 2012
16 Valencia 45–1 (H)2011–12 La Liga19 February 2012
17 Argentina Switzerland3–1 (A)Friendly29 February 2012
18 Barcelona Bayer Leverkusen 57–1 (H)2011–12 UEFA Champions League7 March 2012
19 Espanyol 44–0 (H)2011–12 La Liga20 March 2012
20 Granada5–3 (H)2011–12 La Liga2 May 2012
21 Málaga4–1 (H)2011–12 La Liga5 May 2012
22 Argentina Brazil4–3 (N)Friendly9 June 2012
23 Barcelona Deportivo La Coruña5–4 (A)2012–13 La Liga20 October 2012
24 Osasuna 45–1 (H)2012–13 La Liga27 January 2013
25 Argentina Guatemala4–0 (A)Friendly14 June 2013
26 Barcelona Valencia3–2 (A)2013–14 La Liga1 September 2013
27 Ajax4–0 (H)2013–14 UEFA Champions League18 September 2013
28 Osasuna7–0 (H)2013–14 La Liga16 March 2014
29 Real Madrid4–3 (A)2013–14 La Liga23 March 2014
30 Sevilla5–1 (H)2014–15 La Liga22 November 2014
31 APOEL4–0 (H)2014–15 UEFA Champions League25 November 2014
32 Espanyol5–1 (H)2014–15 La Liga7 December 2014
33 Deportivo La Coruña4–0 (A)2014–15 La Liga18 January 2015
34 Levante5–0 (H)2014–15 La Liga15 February 2015
35 Rayo Vallecano6–1 (H)2014–15 La Liga15 March 2015
36 Granada4–0 (H)2015–16 La Liga9 January 2016
37 Valencia7–0 (H)2015–16 Copa del Rey3 February 2016
38 Rayo Vallecano5–1 (A)2015–16 La Liga3 March 2016
39 Argentina Panama5–0 (N)Copa América Centenario10 June 2016
40 Barcelona Celtic7–0 (H)2016–17 UEFA Champions League13 September 2016
41 Manchester City4–0 (H)2016–17 UEFA Champions League19 October 2016
42 Espanyol5–0 (H)2017–18 La Liga9 September 2017
43 Eibar 46–1 (H)2017–18 La Liga19 September 2017
44 Argentina Ecuador3–1 (A)2018 FIFA World Cup qualification10 October 2017
45 Barcelona Leganés3–1 (H)2017–18 La Liga7 April 2018
46 Deportivo La Coruña4–2 (A)2017–18 La Liga29 April 2018
47 Argentina Haiti4–0 (H)Friendly29 May 2018
48 Barcelona PSV Eindhoven4–0 (H)2018–19 UEFA Champions League18 September 2018
49 Levante5–0 (A)2018–19 La Liga16 December 2018
50 Sevilla4–2 (A)2018–19 La Liga23 February 2019
51 Real Betis4–1 (A)2018–19 La Liga17 March 2019
52 Celta Vigo4–1 (H)2019–20 La Liga9 November 2019
53 Mallorca5–2 (H)2019–20 La Liga7 December 2019
54 Eibar 45–0 (H)2019–20 La Liga22 February 2020
55 Argentina Bolivia3–0 (H)2022 FIFA World Cup qualification9 September 2021
56 Estonia 55–0 (N)Friendly5 June 2022
57 Curaçao7–0 (H)Friendly28 March 2023
Cristiano Ronaldo
No. For Against Result Competition Date
1 Manchester United Newcastle United6–0 (H)2007–08 Premier League12 January 2008
2 Real Madrid Mallorca4–1 (A)2009–10 La Liga5 May 2010
3 Racing Santander 46–1 (H)2010–11 La Liga23 October 2010
4 Athletic Bilbao5–1 (H)2010–11 La Liga20 November 2010
5 Levante8–0 (H)2010–11 Copa del Rey22 December 2010
6 Villarreal4–2 (H)2010–11 La Liga9 January 2011
7 Málaga7–0 (H)2010–11 La Liga3 March 2011
8 Sevilla 46–2 (A)2010–11 La Liga7 May 2011
9 Getafe4–0 (H)2010–11 La Liga10 May 2011
10 Zaragoza6–0 (A)2011–12 La Liga28 August 2011
11 Rayo Vallecano 46–2 (H)2011–12 La Liga24 September 2011
12 Málaga4–0 (A)2011–12 La Liga22 October 2011
13 Osasuna7–1 (H)2011–12 La Liga6 November 2011
14 Sevilla6–2 (A)2011–12 La Liga17 December 2011
15 Levante4–2 (H)2011–12 La Liga12 February 2012
16 Atlético Madrid4–1 (A)2011–12 La Liga11 April 2012
17 Deportivo La Coruña5–1 (H)2012–13 La Liga30 September 2012
18 Ajax4–1 (A)2012–13 UEFA Champions League3 October 2012
19 Celta Vigo4–0 (H)2012–13 Copa del Rey9 January 2013
20 Getafe4–0 (H)2012–13 La Liga27 January 2013
21 Sevilla4–1 (H)2012–13 La Liga9 February 2013
22 Portugal Northern Ireland4–2 (A)2014 FIFA World Cup qualification6 September 2013
23 Real Madrid Galatasaray6–1 (A)2013–14 UEFA Champions League17 September 2013
24 Sevilla7–3 (H)2013–14 La Liga30 October 2013
25 Real Sociedad5–1 (H)2013–14 La Liga9 November 2013
26 Portugal Sweden3–2 (A)2014 FIFA World Cup qualification19 November 2013
27 Real Madrid Deportivo La Coruña8–2 (A)2014–15 La Liga20 September 2014
28 Elche 45–1 (H)2014–15 La Liga23 September 2014
29 Athletic Bilbao5–0 (H)2014–15 La Liga5 October 2014
30 Celta Vigo3–0 (H)2014–15 La Liga6 December 2014
31 Granada 59–1 (H)2014–15 La Liga5 April 2015
32 Sevilla3–2 (A)2014–15 La Liga2 May 2015
33 Espanyol3–1 (A)2014–15 La Liga17 May 2015
34 Getafe7–3 (H)2014–15 La Liga23 May 2015
35 Portugal Armenia3–2 (A)UEFA Euro 2016 qualifying13 June 2015
36 Real Madrid Espanyol 56–0 (A)2015–16 La Liga12 September 2015
37 Shakhtar Donetsk4–0 (H)2015–16 UEFA Champions League15 September 2015
38 Malmö FF 48–0 (H)2015–16 UEFA Champions League8 December 2015
39 Espanyol6–0 (H)2015–16 La Liga31 January 2016
40 Celta Vigo 47–1 (H)2015–16 La Liga5 March 2016
41 VfL Wolfsburg3–0 (H)2015–16 UEFA Champions League12 April 2016
42 Portugal Andorra 46–0 (H)2018 FIFA World Cup qualification7 October 2016
43 Real Madrid Alavés4–1 (A)2016–17 La Liga29 October 2016
44 Atlético Madrid3–0 (A)2016–17 La Liga19 November 2016
45 Kashima Antlers4–2 (N)2016 FIFA Club World Cup18 December 2016
46 Bayern Munich4–2 (H)2016–17 UEFA Champions League18 April 2017
47 Atlético Madrid3–0 (H)2016–17 UEFA Champions League2 May 2017
48 Portugal Faroe Islands5–1 (H)2018 FIFA World Cup qualification31 August 2017
49 Real Madrid Real Sociedad5–2 (H)2017–18 La Liga10 February 2018
50 Girona 46–3 (H)2017–18 La Liga18 March 2018
51 Portugal Spain3–3 (N)2018 FIFA World Cup15 June 2018
52 Juventus Atlético Madrid3–0 (H)2018–19 UEFA Champions League12 March 2019
53 Portugal Switzerland3–1 (H)2019 UEFA Nations League Finals5 June 2019
54 Lithuania 45–1 (A)UEFA Euro 2020 qualifying10 September 2019
55 Lithuania6–0 (H)UEFA Euro 2020 qualifying14 November 2019
56 Juventus Cagliari4–0 (H)2019–20 Serie A6 January 2020
57 Cagliari3–1 (A)2020–21 Serie A14 March 2021
58 Portugal Luxembourg5–0 (H)2022 FIFA World Cup qualification12 October 2021
59 Manchester United Tottenham Hotspur3–2 (H)2021–22 Premier League12 March 2022
60 Norwich City3–2 (H)2021–22 Premier League16 April 2022
61 Al Nassr Al Wehda 44–0 (A)2022–23 Saudi Pro League9 February 2023
62 Damac3–0 (A)2022–23 Saudi Pro League25 February 2023
63 Al Fateh5–0 (A)2023–24 Saudi Pro League25 August 2023

Head-to-head

Over the time both Messi and Ronaldo played in La Liga, the Real Madrid–Barcelona rivalry has been "encapsulated" by the individual rivalry between Ronaldo and Messi to some extent.[154][155] No El Clásico encounter between the two ever finished goalless.[156]

See also: List of El Clásico matches
Legend
Final
Semi-final
No.DateCompetitionHome teamScoreAway teamGoals scored by the duo
1 23 April 2008 UEFA Champions League Barcelona 0–0 Manchester United
2 29 April 2008 UEFA Champions League Manchester United 1–0 Barcelona
3 27 May 2009 UEFA Champions League Barcelona 2–0 Manchester United Messi ( 70')
4 29 November 2009 La Liga Barcelona 1–0 Real Madrid
5 10 April 2010 La Liga Real Madrid 0–2 Barcelona Messi ( 33')
6 29 November 2010 La Liga Barcelona 5–0 Real Madrid
7 9 February 2011 International friendly Argentina 2–1 Portugal Ronaldo ( 21'), Messi ( 90' (pen.))
8 16 April 2011 La Liga Real Madrid 1–1 Barcelona Messi ( 51' (pen.)), Ronaldo ( 81' (pen.))
9 20 April 2011 Copa del Rey Real Madrid 1–0 (a.e.t.) Barcelona Ronaldo ( 103')
10 27 April 2011 UEFA Champions League Real Madrid 0–2 Barcelona Messi ( 76', 87')
11 3 May 2011 UEFA Champions League Barcelona 1–1 Real Madrid
12 14 August 2011 Supercopa de España Real Madrid 2–2 Barcelona Messi ( 45+1')
13 17 August 2011 Supercopa de España Barcelona 3–2 Real Madrid Ronaldo ( 20'), Messi ( 53', 88')
14 10 December 2011 La Liga Real Madrid 1–3 Barcelona
15 18 January 2012 Copa del Rey Real Madrid 1–2 Barcelona Ronaldo ( 11')
16 25 January 2012 Copa del Rey Barcelona 2–2 Real Madrid Ronaldo ( 68')
17 21 April 2012 La Liga Barcelona 1–2 Real Madrid Ronaldo ( 73')
18 23 August 2012 Supercopa de España Barcelona 3–2 Real Madrid Ronaldo ( 55'), Messi ( 70' (pen.))
19 29 August 2012 Supercopa de España Real Madrid 2–1 Barcelona Ronaldo ( 19'), Messi ( 45')
20 7 October 2012 La Liga Barcelona 2–2 Real Madrid Ronaldo ( 23', 66'), Messi ( 31', 61')
21 30 January 2013 Copa del Rey Real Madrid 1–1 Barcelona
22 26 February 2013 Copa del Rey Barcelona 1–3 Real Madrid Ronaldo ( 12' (pen.), 57')
23 2 March 2013 La Liga Real Madrid 2–1 Barcelona Messi ( 18')
24 26 October 2013 La Liga Barcelona 2–1 Real Madrid
25 23 March 2014 La Liga Real Madrid 3–4 Barcelona Messi ( 42', 65' (pen.), 84' (pen.)), Ronaldo ( 55' (pen.))
26 25 October 2014 La Liga Real Madrid 3–1 Barcelona Ronaldo ( 35' (pen.))
27 18 November 2014 International friendly Argentina 0–1 Portugal
28 22 March 2015 La Liga Barcelona 2–1 Real Madrid Ronaldo ( 31')
29 21 November 2015 La Liga Real Madrid 0–4 Barcelona
30 2 April 2016 La Liga Barcelona 1–2 Real Madrid Ronaldo ( 85')
31 3 December 2016 La Liga Barcelona 1–1 Real Madrid
32 23 April 2017 La Liga Real Madrid 2–3 Barcelona Messi ( 33', 90+2')
33 13 August 2017 Supercopa de España Barcelona 1–3 Real Madrid Messi ( 77' (pen.)), Ronaldo ( 80')
34 23 December 2017 La Liga Real Madrid 0–3 Barcelona Messi ( 64' (pen.))
35 6 May 2018 La Liga Barcelona 2–2 Real Madrid Ronaldo ( 14'), Messi ( 52')
36 8 December 2020 UEFA Champions League Barcelona 0–3 Juventus Ronaldo ( 13' (pen.), 52' (pen.))
37 19 January 2023 Club friendly Riyadh XI 4–5 Paris Saint-Germain Messi ( 3'), Ronaldo ( 34' (pen.), 45+6')

Head-to-head summary
Competition Games played Messi wins Draws Ronaldo wins Messi goals Ronaldo goals
La Liga 181044129
UEFA Champions League 622232
Copa del Rey 512205
Supercopa de España 521264
International friendly 210111
Charity friendly 110012
Total37179112323

Last updated 19 January 2023

See also

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