Head to head
36 matches. 17 years. One rivalry.
Every Messi vs Ronaldo meeting across El Clásico, the Champions League and international friendlies, with the goals, the assists and the final scores.
How the rivalry was actually decided
For roughly a decade, El Clásico was the most-watched club fixture on Earth largely because both of these players were on it. The numbers above count every official meeting — competitive games for Barcelona, Real Madrid, Juventus, Manchester United, Paris Saint-Germain, Inter Miami and Al Nassr, plus the rare Argentina vs Portugal friendly. We do not count games where one of them was an unused substitute. Messi finishes the rivalry on top in almost every angle: more wins, more goals, and an assist column that is essentially a clean sweep. Ronaldo's case is the size of the moments — a Champions League final, a Bernabéu hat-trick, a 2020 brace against Barcelona at the Camp Nou with Juventus.
El Clásico — the 27 they shared at Barcelona and Real Madrid
2007 – 2018Of the 36 lifetime meetings, 27 were classic Barcelona vs Real Madrid fixtures across La Liga, the Copa del Rey and Supercopa de España. These are the Clásicos that defined an era of football.
12
Messi wins
6
Draws
9
Ronaldo wins
26
Messi El Clásico goals (all-time record)
18
Messi goals in these games
17
Ronaldo goals in these games
12
Messi assists
1
Ronaldo assists
Across the full history of the fixture, Messi finished as the all-time leading scorer in El Clásico with 26 goals — a record that also includes goals scored before Ronaldo arrived in Madrid.
Selected matches
Timeline| Date | Competition | Venue | Result | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008-02-26 | Champions League QF | Old Trafford | Man United 0–0 Barcelona | — |
| 2009-05-02 | La Liga | Bernabéu | Real Madrid 2–6 Barcelona | Messi ⚽ |
| 2009-05-27 | UCL Final | Rome | Barcelona 2–0 Man United | Messi ⚽ |
| 2010-04-10 | La Liga | Camp Nou | Barcelona 0–2 Real Madrid | — |
| 2011-04-16 | La Liga | Bernabéu | Real Madrid 1–1 Barcelona | Messi ⚽, Ronaldo ⚽ (pen) |
| 2011-04-27 | UCL SF | Bernabéu | Real Madrid 0–2 Barcelona | Messi ⚽⚽ |
| 2011-12-10 | La Liga | Bernabéu | Real Madrid 1–3 Barcelona | Messi ⚽, Ronaldo ⚽ |
| 2012-04-21 | La Liga | Camp Nou | Barcelona 1–2 Real Madrid | Ronaldo ⚽ |
| 2012-10-07 | La Liga | Camp Nou | Barcelona 2–2 Real Madrid | Messi ⚽⚽, Ronaldo ⚽⚽ |
| 2014-03-23 | La Liga | Bernabéu | Real Madrid 3–4 Barcelona | Messi ⚽⚽⚽, Ronaldo ⚽ |
| 2014-10-25 | La Liga | Bernabéu | Real Madrid 3–1 Barcelona | Ronaldo ⚽ (pen) |
| 2017-04-23 | La Liga | Bernabéu | Real Madrid 2–3 Barcelona | Messi ⚽⚽ |
| 2018-05-06 | La Liga | Camp Nou | Barcelona 2–2 Real Madrid | Messi ⚽, Ronaldo ⚽ |
| 2020-12-08 | UCL group | Camp Nou | Barcelona 0–3 Juventus | Ronaldo ⚽⚽ (pens) |
| 2025-02-01 | Friendly | Riyadh | Al Nassr 0–0 Inter Miami | — |
FAQ
How many times have Messi and Ronaldo played against each other?+
36 official matches across club football (mostly El Clásico while at Barcelona and Real Madrid), the Champions League and international friendlies between Argentina and Portugal.
Who has won more Messi vs Ronaldo matches?+
Messi has won 16, Ronaldo has won 11 and there have been nine draws.
Who has scored more goals in Messi vs Ronaldo matches?+
Messi has scored 22 goals in their meetings to Ronaldo's 21. Messi also has 12 assists in those games compared to Ronaldo's one.
When did Messi and Ronaldo last play each other?+
Their most recent meeting was an Inter Miami vs Al Nassr friendly in early 2025. Their last competitive meeting came during their time at Barcelona and Juventus.
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