Records

35 records. 21 for Messi. 14 for Ronaldo.

A non-exhaustive list of all-time records and major milestones, grouped by category. Records are the cleanest comparison tool in football — verifiable, opinion-free and durable.

Lionel Messi · records held

60% of the 35 records on this page

Cristiano Ronaldo · records held

40% of the 35 records on this page

Category

Goals

Career, calendar, free kicks, headers, penalties — the raw scoring ledger.

5 Messi · 3 Ronaldo

Cristiano Ronaldo
Most career goals in men's football
971 senior career goals and still adding — the all-time men's record on verified senior football.
Lionel Messi
Most career goals at a single club
672 goals for Barcelona between 2004 and 2021 — more than any player at any single club in history.
Lionel Messi
Most goals in a single calendar year
91 goals across club and country in 2012, breaking Gerd Müller's 1972 record.
Lionel Messi
Most goals against a single opponent
32 career goals against Sevilla — the most by any player against a single opponent in football history.
Lionel Messi
Most direct free-kick goals in modern football
71 direct free-kick goals — most of any active player and one of the highest career totals on record.
Cristiano Ronaldo
Most penalty goals in football history
More than 185 successful career penalties, the highest verified total in men's football.
Cristiano Ronaldo
Most headed goals in modern football
150+ career headed goals — more than many strikers' entire totals.
Lionel Messi
Most goals scored in five consecutive seasons
Scored 50+ in five separate seasons for Barcelona — no other player has scored 50+ in even two.

Category

Competitions

Champions League, La Liga, El Clásico and league-titles-in-different-countries records.

5 Messi · 4 Ronaldo

Cristiano Ronaldo
Most Champions League goals
140 UEFA Champions League goals — the all-time leading scorer in the competition's history.
Cristiano Ronaldo
Most Champions League titles (modern era)
Five Champions Leagues — one at Manchester United, four in five years at Real Madrid.
Cristiano Ronaldo
Most goals in a single Champions League season
17 goals in the 2013–14 UCL — a record that still stands.
Lionel Messi
Most goals in a single Champions League match
Five goals against Bayer Leverkusen on 7 March 2012 — the only player ever to do it.
Lionel Messi
Most Champions League hat-tricks
Tied with Ronaldo on eight — the joint-most in the competition's history. Listed under Messi alphabetically.
Lionel Messi
Most goals in La Liga history
474 La Liga goals — the all-time competition record.
Lionel Messi
Most assists in La Liga history
More than 190 La Liga assists — also the all-time competition record.
Lionel Messi
Most El Clásico goals
26 goals in El Clásico — the most by any player in the fixture's history.
Cristiano Ronaldo
Only player to win league titles in four different countries
Premier League (Manchester United), La Liga (Real Madrid), Serie A (Juventus), Saudi Pro League (Al Nassr).

Category

Awards

Ballon d'Or, FIFA Best, Golden Shoes and other individual honours.

4 Messi · 0 Ronaldo

Lionel Messi
Most Ballon d'Or wins
Eight wins (2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2019, 2021, 2023) — more than any other player.
Lionel Messi
Most European Golden Shoes
Six European Golden Shoes — the most of any player in the award's history.
Lionel Messi
Most FIFA Best / World Player of the Year awards (combined)
Three FIFA Best awards plus three FIFA World Player wins — six in total, more than any other player.
Lionel Messi
Most Ballon d'Or top-three finishes
17 top-three finishes between 2007 and 2023 — Ronaldo has 13.

Category

International

Argentina vs Portugal — World Cup, Euros, Copa America and senior caps.

3 Messi · 4 Ronaldo

Cristiano Ronaldo
Most international goals (men's football)
143 goals for Portugal in 226 caps — the men's international goal-scoring record.
Cristiano Ronaldo
Most international appearances (men's football)
226 senior caps for Portugal — the all-time men's record.
Cristiano Ronaldo
Most goals at men's European Championship finals
14 Euros goals across five tournaments — the all-time record.
Cristiano Ronaldo
Most appearances at men's European Championship finals
30 Euros appearances — the only player to play in five different Euros.
Lionel Messi
Most goal contributions in a single World Cup knockout run
11 goal involvements (7 goals + 4 assists) on the way to winning the 2022 World Cup with Argentina.
Lionel Messi
Only player to win the World Cup Golden Ball twice
Adidas Golden Ball in 2014 and again in 2022 — a unique feat in tournament history.
Lionel Messi
Most goals in a single Copa America
Joint-record holder for goal involvements in a single Copa America (Copa 2021 — 4 goals, 5 assists).

Category

Single season

The best individual seasons of all time.

2 Messi · 1 Ronaldo

Lionel Messi
Most goals in a single La Liga season
50 La Liga goals in 2011–12 — still the single-season top-flight record.
Lionel Messi
Most goals in a single European top-five season
73 goals for Barcelona in 2011–12 (all competitions) — the single-season club-football record.
Cristiano Ronaldo
Most goals in a single Serie A season for Juventus
31 league goals in 2019–20 — first Juventus player to reach 30 in a single league season since the 1960s.

Category

Longevity

Age, durability and the milestones nobody else has stuck around long enough to set.

2 Messi · 2 Ronaldo

Lionel Messi
Oldest Ballon d'Or winner of the 21st century
Won his eighth Ballon d'Or aged 36 in 2023.
Cristiano Ronaldo
Oldest Champions League goalscorer aged 35+
Scored regularly in the Champions League past age 35 — including a hat-trick at 36.
Cristiano Ronaldo
First male footballer to score 900 senior career goals
Reached the 900-goal milestone in September 2024 with Al Nassr.
Lionel Messi
Most years on the Ballon d'Or shortlist
On the Ballon d'Or shortlist every year from 2006 to 2024 — the longest active streak.

Records they have traded

Several records have moved back and forth between the two over the years. Most career goals — held by Ronaldo since the late 2010s — was briefly within Messi's range during his record 2011–12 season. Most goals in a Champions League season — Ronaldo's 17 in 2013–14 — replaced Messi's previous record of 14 from 2011–12. Most goals in El Clásico history is held by Messi (26) and most assists in El Clásico is also Messi (14). Most Ballons d'Or before and after the age of 30 are both held by Messi.

Keep reading

Ballon d'Or

Ballon d'Or wins, FIFA Best, Golden Boots and individual awards for Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.

Awards by Year

Every Ballon d'Or from 2007 to 2024

Every Ballon d'Or from 2007 to 2024 — who won, and where Messi and Ronaldo finished. Includes the ten-year run nobody else could win the award.

Legends

How Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo's career goal totals compare to Pelé, Josef Bican, Romário, Gerd Müller and Ferenc Puskás.

Goals

Competitions

Awards

International

Single season

Longevity

Records they have traded

You might also like