From goals to assists to knockout-stage records, here is how Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo’s World Cup careers truly compare.
Also see: AfricaPicks unites fans through sport, community & education
Historic moments from Messi and Ronaldo
Goals
- Lionel Messi is the outright leading scorer in World Cup history with 18 goals, having broken Miroslav Klose’s long-standing record of 16 with a brace against Austria.
- Cristiano Ronaldo sits some way behind on 10 goals, though his own brace against Uzbekistan made him Portugal’s all-time top scorer at the tournament, finally passing the great Eusebio.
Assists
- Messi also leads the way on assists, with eight to his name, level with Diego Maradona, Pelé, and Germany’s Uwe Seeler for the all-time World Cup record.
- Ronaldo has provided just two assists across his six tournaments, illustrating the gulf between the two as creators on football’s biggest stage.
Goal contributions
Combining goals and assists, Messi’s total of 26 dwarfs Ronaldo’s 12. Messi’s figure also moved him clear of Pelé’s long-standing combined mark of 21.
Also see: All the World Cup records Lionel Messi has broken
Individual records
Both men share the record for featuring at the most World Cups by a male player, having become the first two players in history to feature at six editions.
Ronaldo went one step further by becoming the first player to score in six different World Cups, while Messi holds the separate record of most World Cup appearances overall, most minutes played, and the oldest player to score a World Cup hat-trick.
Ronaldo remains the oldest outfield player ever to start a World Cup match. Perhaps most striking of all, Ronaldo has never scored a World Cup goal in the knockout rounds, with every one of his ten goals coming in the group stage.
Goal contributions by stage
| Stage | Messi Goals | Messi Assists | Ronaldo Goals | Ronaldo Assists |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Group stage | 13 | 2 | 10 | 2 |
| Round of 16 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Quarter-final | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Semi-final | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Final | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 18 | 8 | 10 | 2 |
The numbers tell their own story. While Ronaldo remains chasing his first World Cup, Messi has already won the trophy he spent years being told he could never lift, and at 39, he continues to add to a record that may never be matched.
Originally published by Soccermag.
Also see: Cristiano Ronaldo breaks record in Portugal’s 5-0 win over Uzbekistan
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