Messi–Ronaldo rivalry

Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi before an international friendly between Argentina and Portugal in Geneva, Switzerland, 9 February 2011

The Messi–Ronaldo rivalry is a football rivalry between fans of Argentinian forward Lionel Messi and Portuguese forward Cristiano Ronaldo and supposedly between the athletes themselves. Having won a combined ten Ballon d'Or/FIFA Ballon d'Or awards (5 each), both are widely regarded not only as the two best players of their generation, but also regarded by many as the greatest of all time. Both players have regularly broken the 50 goal barrier in a single season and have scored over 600 goals each in their careers for club and country.[1][2] Sports journalists and pundits regularly argue the individual merits of both players in an attempt to establish who they believe is the best player in modern football.[3][4][5][6][7] It has been compared to past global sports rivalries such as the Muhammad Ali–Joe Frazier rivalry in boxing, the Björn Borg–John McEnroe rivalry in tennis and the Ayrton Senna–Alain Prost rivalry in Formula One motor racing.[8][9][10]

Some commentators choose to analyse the differing physiques and playing styles of the two[11] while part of the debate revolves around the contrasting personalities of the two players: Ronaldo is sometimes described as someone of temperamental character while Messi is portrayed with reserved character.[12][13][14][15] It could be the case that this is why Messi is considered trustworthier and more likable by the public,[16] even though Ronaldo improved his reputation since 2013.[17]

At club level, Messi and Ronaldo represented rivals FC Barcelona and Real Madrid C.F., the two players facing each other at least twice every season in the world's most popular regular-season club game, El Clásico (among the most viewed annual sporting events), until Ronaldo's transfer to Italian club Juventus F.C. in 2018.[18][19] Off the field, they are the face of two rival sportswear manufacturers, Messi of Adidas and Ronaldo of Nike, which are also the kit suppliers of their national teams and the opposite for their clubs.[20][21][22] The two highest paid players in football, Ronaldo and Messi are among the world's best paid sports' stars in combined income from salaries, bonuses and off-field earnings. In 2016, Ronaldo was first on Forbes list of the best paid athletes, earning $88 million, with Messi being second at $81.4 million.[23] They have the two biggest social media followings in the world among sportspeople with a combined 211 million Facebook fans, with Ronaldo having 122 million and Messi having 89 million.[24] With a combined Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, Ronaldo has 321 million to be the most famous celebrity on social media and Messi has 181 million excluding Twitter.[25][26]

History

It's only the media, the press, who wants us to be at loggerheads but I've never fought with Cristiano.

—Messi addresses his perceived rivalry with Ronaldo[27]

I like to see all good players, and Messi is one of them. He is a player, I really enjoy seeing him on the pitch, and all the great players.

—Ronaldo talks about Messi in an interview with Fox Sports Argentina[28]

In 2007, Ronaldo and Messi finished as runners-up to A.C. Milan's Kaká in both the Ballon d'Or, an award rewarded to the player voted as the best in the world by an international panel of sports journalists; and the FIFA World Player of the Year, an award voted for by coaches and captains of international teams. In an interview that year, Messi was quoted as saying "Cristiano Ronaldo is an extraordinary player and it would be brilliant to be in the same team as him".[29][30]

They first played in a game together when Manchester United were drawn to play Barcelona in the 2007–08 UEFA Champions League semi-finals and were immediately pitted as major rivals.[31][32][33] Ronaldo missed a penalty in the first leg,[34] but United eventually advanced to the final via a Paul Scholes goal.[35] At the end of the year, Ronaldo was awarded the Ballon d'Or and vowed that he would win the award again.[36][37]

The 2009 UEFA Champions League Final was contested between Manchester United and Barcelona on 27 May 2009 at Stadio Olimpico in Rome, Italy. The match, described as a "dream clash",[38] was again hyped as the latest battle between the two, this time to settle who was the best player in the world;[39][40] Ronaldo claimed he was the better of the two[41] while Messi's club-mate Xavi sided with him.[42] United manager Alex Ferguson was more diplomatic, praising both players as being amongst the world's elite talents.[43][44] Messi, playing in a central role he was unaccustomed to so he would avoid a direct battle with United left-back Patrice Evra,[45] scored Barcelona's second in a 2–0 victory with a header in the 70th minute.[46] Meanwhile, Ronaldo was subdued for much of the game despite some early chances to score and his frustration eventually showed when he was booked for a rash tackle on Carles Puyol.[47][48]

Relationship between Messi and Ronaldo

In a 2015 interview, Ronaldo commented on the rivalry by saying that "I think we push each other sometimes in the competition, this is why the competition is so high"[49] while Ronaldo's manager during his time at Manchester United Alex Ferguson opined that "I don't think the rivalry against each other bothers them. I think they have their own personal pride in terms of wanting to be the best".[50] Messi has denied any rivalry, saying that it was "only the media, the press, who wants us to be at loggerheads but I've never fought with Cristiano".[51]

However, it is widely argued and documented that there's an atmosphere of tension between the duo, with Guillem Balagué claiming in Messi that Ronaldo refers to the Argentine counterpart as "motherfucker" behind his back,[52][53] and Luca Caioli saying in his book, Ronaldo: The Obsession for Perfection, that according to his sources, Ronaldo heats up when watching Messi play.[54] In response to claims that he and Messi do not get on well on a personal level, Ronaldo commented: "We don't have a relationship outside the world of football, just as we don't with a lot of other players", before adding that in years to come he hopes they can laugh about it together, stating: "We have to look on this rivalry with a positive spirit, because it's a good thing".[55] On 13 November 2014, Ronaldo also threatened to take legal action over the remarks made by Balagué.[56]

Awards and records

Throughout the existence of the rivalry, the pair have dominated awards ceremonies and broken a multitude of goalscoring records for both club and country, feats which have been described as "incredible", "ridiculous" and "remarkable".[57][58][59] The rivalry itself has been described as one about records and reputation of the players, rather than one based in loathing.[60][61]

Ronaldo is the UEFA Champions League all-time top goalscorer while Messi is second. The two had broken each other's record over the course of 2015 after Messi surpassed the previous record holder Raúl in November 2014.[62] Ronaldo opened a gap in the 2015–16 season when he became the first player to score double figures in the group stage of the Champions League, setting the record at 11 goals.[63] They are the first two players to score 100 goals in UEFA Champions League history.[64]

Player statistics

Club statistics
As of 10 July 2018
Lionel Messi
SeasonLeagueCupEuropeOtherTotal
AppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
2004–057110100091
2005–06176216100258
2006–0726142251303617
2007–0828103096004016
2008–09312386129005138
2009–10353431118445347
2010–113331771312235553
2011–123750731114566073
2012–13324654118225060
2013–1431286578204641
2014–153843651310005758
2015–1633265576444941
2016–17343775911215254
2017–18363464106215445
Total 41838368481251002621637552
Cristiano Ronaldo
SeasonLeagueCupEuropeOtherTotal
AppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
2002–03253323000315
2003–04294625000406
2004–05335948000509
2005–063396281004712
2006–07341783113005323
2007–08343133118104942
2008–09331863124215326
2009–1029260067003533
2010–11344087126005453
2011–123846531010215560
2012–133434771212225555
2013–143031631117004751
2014–153548211210525461
2015–163635001216004851
2016–172925211312244642
2017–182726001315434444
Total 51339871411591211813761573
International statistics
As of 27 March 2018
Lionel Messi[65]
SeasonTournamentQualifiersFriendliesTotal
AppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
2005–06313041102
2006–07620042104
2007–08006241103
2008–0900821193
2009–10504021111
2010–11400074114
2011–1200435799
2012–13008544129
2013–14741231117
2014–15610043104
2015–16552133109
2016–1700431053
2017–1841530094
Total 36134421422712865
Cristiano Ronaldo[66]
SeasonTournamentQualifiersFriendliesTotal
AppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
2003–04620070132
2004–05008720107
2005–06614052153
2006–0700652085
2007–08317320124
2008–0900403171
2009–10413040111
2010–1100322153
2011–12535541149
2012–1300613394
2013–143147331011
2014–1500452065
2015–16732043136
2016–1742511111014
2017–184444221010
Total 38146550461715485

Head-to-head

In recent years, it has been said that the rivalry between Real Madrid and Barcelona has been "encapsulated" by the individual rivalry between Ronaldo and Messi,[67][68] with neither player ever participating in a goalless El Clásico.[69]

Legend
Final
Semi-final
No.DateCompetitionHome teamAway teamScoreGoals scored by the duo
1 23 April 2008 Champions League Barcelona Manchester United 0–0
2 29 April 2008 Champions League Manchester United Barcelona 1–0
3 27 May 2009 Champions League Manchester United Barcelona 0–2 Messi ( 70')
4 29 November 2009 La Liga Barcelona Real Madrid 1–0
5 10 April 2010 La Liga Real Madrid Barcelona 0–2 Messi ( 33')
6 29 November 2010 La Liga Barcelona Real Madrid 5–0
7 9 February 2011 Friendly Argentina Portugal 2–1 Ronaldo ( 53'), Messi ( 83' (pen.))
8 16 April 2011 La Liga Real Madrid Barcelona 1–1 Messi ( 51' (pen.)), Ronaldo ( 81' (pen.))
9 20 April 2011 Copa del Rey Real Madrid Barcelona 1–0 (a.e.t.) Ronaldo ( 103')
10 27 April 2011 Champions League Real Madrid Barcelona 0–2 Messi ( 76', 87')
11 3 May 2011 Champions League Barcelona Real Madrid 1–1
12 14 August 2011 Supercopa de España Real Madrid Barcelona 2–2 Messi ( 45')
13 17 August 2011 Supercopa de España Barcelona Real Madrid 3–2 Ronaldo ( 20'), Messi ( 53', 88')
14 10 December 2011 La Liga Real Madrid Barcelona 1–3
15 18 January 2012 Copa del Rey Real Madrid Barcelona 1–2 Ronaldo ( 11')
16 25 January 2012 Copa del Rey Barcelona Real Madrid 2–2 Ronaldo ( 68')
17 21 April 2012 La Liga Barcelona Real Madrid 1–2 Ronaldo ( 73')
18 23 August 2012 Supercopa de España Barcelona Real Madrid 3–2 Ronaldo ( 55'), Messi ( 70' (pen.))
19 29 August 2012 Supercopa de España Real Madrid Barcelona 2–1 Ronaldo ( 19'), Messi ( 45')
20 7 October 2012 La Liga Barcelona Real Madrid 2–2 Ronaldo ( 23', 66'), Messi ( 31', 61')
21 30 January 2013 Copa del Rey Real Madrid Barcelona 1–1
22 26 February 2013 Copa del Rey Barcelona Real Madrid 1–3 Ronaldo ( 12', 57')
23 2 March 2013 La Liga Real Madrid Barcelona 2–1 Messi ( 18')
24 26 October 2013 La Liga Barcelona Real Madrid 2–1
25 23 March 2014 La Liga Real Madrid Barcelona 3–4 Messi ( 42', 65' (pen.), 84' (pen.)), Ronaldo ( 55' (pen.))
26 25 October 2014 La Liga Real Madrid Barcelona 3–1 Ronaldo ( 35' (pen.))
27 18 November 2014 Friendly Argentina Portugal 0–1
28 22 March 2015 La Liga Barcelona Real Madrid 2–1 Ronaldo ( 31')
29 21 November 2015 La Liga Real Madrid Barcelona 0–4
30 2 April 2016 La Liga Barcelona Real Madrid 1–2 Ronaldo ( 85')
31 3 December 2016 La Liga Barcelona Real Madrid 1–1
32 23 April 2017 La Liga Real Madrid Barcelona 2–3 Messi ( 33', 90+2')
33 13 August 2017 Supercopa de España Barcelona Real Madrid 1–3 Messi ( 77' (pen.)), Ronaldo ( 80')
34 23 December 2017 La Liga Real Madrid Barcelona 0–3 Messi ( 64' (pen.))
35 6 May 2018 La Liga Barcelona Real Madrid 2–2 Ronaldo ( 14'), Messi ( 52')

Results

Competition Games played Messi wins Draws Ronaldo wins Messi goals Ronaldo goals
La Liga 181044129
Champions League 522130
Copa del Rey 512205
Supercopa de España 521264
Friendly 210111
Total official matches35169102219

Last updated 6 May 2018

References

Notes
    Citations
    1. ↑ "Lionel Messi hails 400 goals for Barcelona and Argentina". BBC. 28 September 2014. Retrieved 1 October 2014.
    2. ↑ "Cristiano Ronaldo reaches 400-goal milestone and dedicates achievement to Eusébio after Real Madrid win". The Daily Telegraph. 7 January 2014. Retrieved 1 October 2014.
    3. ↑ Smith, Ben (20 April 2012). "Barcelona's Messi v Real Madrid's Ronaldo". BBC. Retrieved 13 October 2014.
    4. ↑ Rice, Simon (10 April 2013). "Lionel Messi v Cristiano Ronaldo – world's greatest players locked in new battle". The Independent. Retrieved 13 October 2014.
    5. ↑ Mendes, Chris (24 June 2014). "Cristiano Ronaldo's personal duel with Lionel Messi is affecting his performances for Portugal". The Telegraph. Retrieved 30 September 2014.
    6. ↑ Hughes, Rob (8 October 2012). "Messi and Ronaldo: 2 Stars in Their Own Universe". The New York Times. Retrieved 19 November 2014.
    7. ↑ Marcotti, Gabriele (18 March 2012). "The Phenomenon of Messi and Ronaldo". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 19 November 2014.
    8. ↑ Hunter, Graham (28 November 2010). "The game's best rivalry". ESPN. Retrieved 30 September 2014.
    9. ↑ "Messi v Ronaldo". Sky Sports. 17 October 2011. Archived from the original on 6 October 2014.
    10. ↑ "The Special Two". The Times. 21 December 2012. Retrieved 13 October 2014. (Subscription required (help)).
    11. ↑ Hughes, Rob (13 September 2011). "Ronaldo May Look Like the Best, but There Is Someone Better". The New York Times. Retrieved 30 September 2014.
    12. ↑ Hayward, Paul (26 May 2009). "Cristiano Ronaldo versus Lionel Messi pits showman against shy man". The Guardian. Retrieved 30 September 2014.
    13. ↑ Lewis, Tim (24 November 2013). "Cristiano Ronaldo: he's got a god-given talent – and he knows it". The Guardian. Retrieved 30 September 2014.
    14. ↑ Calvin, Michael (15 June 2014). "Crunch time for Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo". The Independent. Retrieved 30 September 2014.
    15. ↑ Storey, Daniel (16 June 2014). "Ronaldo: The world's best?". Sky Sports. Retrieved 30 September 2014.
    16. ↑ "Messi vs Ronaldo" (PDF). Nielsen Sports. 2014. Retrieved 1 July 2018.
    17. ↑ Balagué, Guillem (14 January 2014). "Ballon d'Or: Cristiano Ronaldo's improved image helped win, says Guillem Balague". Sky Sports. Retrieved 1 July 2018.
    18. ↑ Badenhausen, Kurt (16 May 2014). "Lionel Messi Reaches $50 Million-A-Year Deal With Barcelona". Forbes. Retrieved 1 October 2014.
    19. ↑ "Cristiano Ronaldo: Juventus sign Real Madrid forward for £99.2m". BBC. 10 July 2018. Retrieved 10 July 2018.
    20. ↑ "Nike vs Adidas Adds Faces to World Cup Sports Marketing Rivalry". NBC. 28 May 2014. Retrieved 1 October 2014.
    21. ↑ Ricadela, Aaron (3 June 2014). "Ronaldo World Cup Ad Goes Global as Web Starts to Trump TV". Bloomberg. Retrieved 1 October 2014.
    22. ↑ "Messi vs Ronaldo Rivalry – Who is the Best?".
    23. ↑ Ben Reynolds (8 June 2016). "Cristiano Ronaldo first footballer to top Forbes rich list of highest-earning athletes". Sky Sports. Retrieved 9 June 2016.
    24. ↑ "Top 100 Facebook fan pages". Fan Page List.com. Retrieved 29 January 2015
    25. ↑ Embury-dennis, Tom (15 March 2015). "Cristiano Ronaldo goes top of the Facebook charts as Real Madrid star overtakes Shakira to become most liked person". Daily Mail. Retrieved 7 July 2015.
    26. ↑ "Ronaldo makes history with 100m followers on Facebook". Yahoo. 14 October 2014. Archived from the original on 23 October 2014. Retrieved 14 October 2014.
    27. ↑ "Barcelona's Lionel Messi blames media for inventing rivalry with Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo". 15 August 2017.
    28. ↑ "Cristiano Ronaldo: I enjoy watching Messi". 2 June 2017.
    29. ↑ Brown, Lucas (28 February 2007). "Messi full of praise for Ronaldo". Sky Sports. Retrieved 30 September 2014.
    30. ↑ "Messi keen to team up with Ronaldo". World Soccer. 28 February 2007. Retrieved 30 September 2014.
    31. ↑ Garside, Kevin (23 April 2008). "Ronaldo v Messi: Gifted duo who share a path". The Telegraph. Retrieved 30 September 2014.
    32. ↑ "Is Cristiano Ronaldo a better player than Lionel Messi?". The Guardian. 23 April 2008. Retrieved 30 September 2014.
    33. ↑ Marcus, Jeffrey (23 April 2008). "Ronaldo, Messi and 20 Other Guys". The New York Times. Retrieved 30 September 2014.
    34. ↑ McCarra, Kevin (24 April 2008). "Ronaldo fluffs penalty but United hold firm". The Guardian. Retrieved 30 September 2014.
    35. ↑ Rutledge, Lewis (29 April 2008). "Scholes seals final spot". Sky Sports. Retrieved 30 September 2014.
    36. ↑ Roughley, Gregg (2 December 2008). "Ronaldo beats off Messi and Torres to scoop Ballon d'Or". The Guardian. Retrieved 30 September 2014.
    37. ↑ Norrish, Mike (2 December 2008). "Manchester United's Cristiano Ronaldo wins Ballon d'Or and says best is yet to come". The Telegraph. Retrieved 30 September 2014.
    38. ↑ Ley, John; Ogden, Mark (27 May 2009). "Manchester United v Barcelona: Cristiano Ronaldo versus Lionel Messi in dream clash". The Telegraph. Retrieved 20 November 2014.
    39. ↑ Lawton, James (8 May 2009). "Stage is set for Ronaldo v Messi, the sparkling final Europe deserves". The Independent. Retrieved 30 September 2014.
    40. ↑ Longman, Jeré (26 May 2009). "Champions League Final May Settle Ronaldo-Messi Debate". The New York Times. Retrieved 30 September 2014.
    41. ↑ "Ronaldo – I'm still No.1". Sky Sports. 24 May 2009. Retrieved 30 September 2014.
    42. ↑ Lowe, Sid (26 May 2009). "Cristiano Ronaldo is not in the same league as Lionel Messi, says Xavi". The Guardian. Retrieved 30 September 2014.
    43. ↑ "Fergie: Ronaldo and Messi top class". Manchester Evening News. 19 May 2009. Retrieved 30 September 2014.
    44. ↑ Ogden, Mark (25 May 2009). "Sir Alex Ferguson cannot separate Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi". The Telegraph. Retrieved 30 September 2014.
    45. ↑ Mole, Giles (28 May 2009). "Manchester United v Barcelona: Lionel Messi centre of attention in Rome". The Telegraph. Retrieved 20 November 2014.
    46. ↑ Hayward, Paul (27 May 2009). "As gladiators clash, Messi is the champion". The Guardian. Retrieved 30 September 2014.
    47. ↑ Williams, Richard (27 May 2009). "Cristiano Ronaldo in a mess as Lionel Messi takes lead role on grand stage". The Guardian. Retrieved 30 September 2014.
    48. ↑ "Manchester United v Barcelona: Cristiano Ronaldo clockwatch". The Telegraph. 28 May 2009. Retrieved 20 November 2014.
    49. ↑ Montague, James; Pinto, Pedro (29 May 2012). "Cristiano Ronaldo: I'm better than Messi". CNN. Retrieved 30 September 2014.
    50. ↑ Palmer, Kevin (20 December 2012). "Fergie: Ronaldo and Messi are equals". ESPN. Retrieved 30 September 2014.
    51. ↑ "Barcelona's Lionel Messi blames media for inventing rivalry with Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo". The Telegraph. 15 August 2012. Retrieved 30 September 2014.
    52. ↑ Haisley, Billy (11 November 2014). "Book: Ronaldo Refers To Messi As "Motherfucker" Behind His Back". Deadspin. Retrieved 15 July 2018.
    53. ↑ Balagué, Guillem (11 November 2014). "Revealed: Cristiano Ronaldo's obscene nickname for Lionel Messi in the Real Madrid dressing room". The Telegraph. Retrieved 15 July 2018.
    54. ↑ Caioli, Luca. "Messi is like Kryptonite to Cristiano Ronaldo's Superman: The story behind football's greatest modern rivalry". Goal. Retrieved 15 July 2018. Real Madrid insiders say that seeing Cristiano Ronaldo in front of the TV watching Messi play is priceless. When his agent Jorge Mendes is watching with him, he tries to calm him down by saying that people don’t understand anything about football, that the Barça No. 10 doesn’t deserve to be the best in the world.
    55. ↑ ""Messi and I are colleagues, work friends". Marca. Retrieved 21 November 2014
    56. ↑ Lezra, Gabe (13 November 2014). "Could Cristiano Ronaldo Win a Libel Suit Against Guillem Balague?". Managing Madrid. Retrieved 15 July 2018.
    57. ↑ Adamson, Mike (10 December 2012). "Lionel Messi's incredible recordbreaking year in numbers". The Guardian. Retrieved 13 October 2014.
    58. ↑ Hyde, Marina (10 December 2014). "Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi: tit-for-tat miracles getting ridiculous". The Guardian. Retrieved 4 January 2015.
    59. ↑ Harland, Nick (8 December 2014). "Cristiano Ronaldo's remarkable Real Madrid goalscoring record in full". The Guardian. Retrieved 4 January 2015.
    60. ↑ Smith, Jim (11 November 2014). "Cristiano Ronaldo versus Lionel Messi is a rivalry to write history rather than a bitter personal feud". The Telegraph. Retrieved 13 December 2015.
    61. ↑ "As another record falls, Ronaldo and Messi continue to drive each other to greater heights". The National. 18 October 2014. Retrieved 13 December 2015.
    62. ↑ "Apoel Nic 0–4 Barcelona". BBC Sport. 25 November 2015. Retrieved 10 August 2015.
    63. ↑ "Ronaldo sets goals record for Champions League group stage". Reuters. 8 December 2015.
    64. ↑ "Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo goal for goal". UEFA. 11 April 2018. Retrieved 21 April 2018.
    65. ↑ Mamrud, Roberto. "Lionel Andrés Messi". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. Retrieved 30 September 2014.
    66. ↑ Mamrud, Roberto. "Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. Retrieved 30 September 2014.
    67. ↑ Bate, Adam (25 October 2013). "Fear and Loathing". Sky Sports. Retrieved 12 January 2015.
    68. ↑ Rigg, Nicholas (20 March 2015). "Lionel Messi vs Cristiano Ronaldo: Real Madrid's superstar heads into El Clasico in the shadow of the Barcelona magician". The Independent. Retrieved 12 April 2015.
    69. ↑ Lowe, Sid (20 March 2015). "Barcelona vs. Real Madrid, Messi vs. Ronaldo always more than just a game". ESPN. Retrieved 12 April 2015.
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