For the last ten years, football fans around the world have argued about who is better: Cristiano Ronaldo or Lionel Messi. This argument often depends on personal likes and which clubs or countries fans support.
So, who is really the greatest player? Both players have had amazing club careers, but their success with their national teams has been different. Ronaldo won his first big international trophy in 2016 when he led Portugal to win Euro 2016. Messi had to wait until 2021 to win a major international trophy, securing the Copa America with Argentina.
International Trophy Count
Cristiano Ronaldo ended his wait for an international trophy by winning the Euro 2016. He then added to his success by winning the Nations League with Portugal, increasing the pressure on Messi to achieve similar results.
Messi’s international career has had its ups and downs, including a short retirement before coming back to lead Argentina to victory in the Copa America in 2021, and then winning the Finalissima and the FIFA World Cup in 2022.
In World Cup terms, Messi shone in 2022, guiding Argentina to victory with seven goals and three assists. Ronaldo, however, had not won a World Cup by then. Before the 2022 World Cup, Ronaldo had scored more goals in fewer games compared to Messi.
Ronaldo’s best World Cup performance was reaching the semi-finals in 2006, where Portugal lost to France and then lost the third-place match to Germany.
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Here’s a table comparing Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi’s international trophies:
| Trophy | Cristiano Ronaldo | Lionel Messi |
|---|---|---|
| Euro | 1 | 0 |
| FIFA World Cup | 0 | 1 |
| UEFA Nations League | 1 | 0 |
| Finalissima | 0 | 1 |
| Olympics | 0 | 1 |
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