Messi vs Ronaldo in 2021: copa won, barcelona left.

Ronaldo out-scored Messi 47 to 41 in 2021, but the year belongs to Messi for two things that had nothing to do with volume. On 10 July, Argentina beat Brazil 1–0 at the Maracanã to win the Copa América — Messi's first senior international trophy, at the fifth attempt, after losing finals in 2007, 2014, 2015 and 2016. A month later, after 21 years at the club, he left Barcelona for Paris Saint-Germain on a free transfer.

It is one of two years in which both players changed clubs, along with 2023. Ronaldo returned to Manchester United in the second half of 2021, twelve years after leaving, making him the only player in this comparison with two spells at the same club.

Messi won a seventh Ballon d'Or in December, as a PSG player, with Lewandowski second and Jorginho third; Ronaldo finished sixth. Messi's 41 is his twelfth-best year and Ronaldo's 47 his 13th. Neither man reached 50 again after this.