Goals · 2009
Messi vs Ronaldo in 2009: treble, transfer, first ballon d'or.
In 2009, Lionel Messi scored 47 goals to Cristiano Ronaldo's 33 — a margin of 14 in Messi's favour.
Cristiano Ronaldo · 2009
33
goals — his 18th-best scoring year
Played for Manchester United and Real Madrid and Portugal.
Messi's first Ballon d'Or and the €94m transfer
2009 is the year the rivalry became a two-city argument. Messi out-scored Ronaldo for the first time, 47 to 33, and the margin of 14 understates how different the two halves of the year were. In May, Pep Guardiola's Barcelona won the treble and Messi scored the second goal in a 2–0 Champions League final win over Manchester United — the mirror image of 2008. In December he took his first Ballon d'Or, with Ronaldo second.
Ronaldo's 33 goals came across two clubs. He finished his Manchester United career in the first half of the year and in July joined Real Madrid for a world-record €94m, which is the transfer that created El Clásico as the venue for this rivalry. It is his 18th-best calendar year, and the only one of his ten Real Madrid years below 39 — the first half of 2009 was still played in England.
The 2009–10 season that begins here was Messi's first 40-goal season: 47 goals in 53 games, his La Liga scoring breakthrough and his first Pichichi. Between them the two scored 80 goals in 2009.
Seasons overlapping 2009
Messi · 2009–10 · Barcelona
47 goals in 53 games
First 40-goal season. La Liga goal-scoring debut and first Pichichi.
What happened in 2009
Messi · 2009-05-27
Messi's first Champions League and first Ballon d'Or
Pep Guardiola's Barcelona win the treble. Messi scores the second goal in a 2–0 final win over Manchester United, then takes home his first Ballon d'Or in December.
Ronaldo · 2009-07-01
Ronaldo signs for Real Madrid
World-record €94m transfer to Real Madrid begins the El Clásico era.
Frequently asked
How many goals did Lionel Messi score in 2009?+
Lionel Messi scored 47 goals in the 2009 calendar year, playing for Barcelona and Argentina. That is his 10th-highest scoring year on record.
How many goals did Cristiano Ronaldo score in 2009?+
Cristiano Ronaldo scored 33 goals in the 2009 calendar year, playing for Manchester United and Real Madrid and Portugal. That is his 18th-highest scoring year on record.
Who scored more goals in 2009, Messi or Ronaldo?+
Lionel Messi, by 14 goals — 47 to 33. Between them they scored 80 goals in the 2009 calendar year.