Messi Falls Short of CR7

The Portuguese forward, who has been with Saudi Pro League team Al Nassr since January, is set to make the most money, $260 million.

He gets $200 million from his club and an extra $60 million from endorsements and deals. This makes him the best paid professional athlete in any sport this year.

Messi is in second place, making about $135 million, which is almost half of Ronaldo’s total. This is the first MLS player on the list since David Beckham in 2012, and he is a midfielder for Inter Miami.

Neymar, the forward for Al-Hilal, is in third place with $112 million, just ahead of Mbappe, who is in second place with $110 million.

Three of the top five play their football in Saudi Arabia. Karim Benzema, a forward for Al-Ittihad who used to play for Real Madrid, is in fifth place with $106 million.

The first player from the Premier League to make the list is Erling Haaland, a scorer for Manchester City who is worth $58 million.

He is sixth, behind Mohamed Salah ($53m) of Liverpool, Sadio Mane ($52m), Kevin De Bruyne ($39m) of City, and Harry Kane ($36m), who used to play for Tottenham.

Robert Lewandowski of Barcelona makes $34 million a year, making him the highest-paid player in La Liga.

Full Comparison of Ronaldo and Messi

Efficiency with Goals and Scoring

The number of goals made is very close. New data shows that Cristiano Ronaldo has made 908 goals in 1250 games, which is an average of 0.73 goals per game. Messi, on the other hand, has hit 849 goals in 1080 games, or 0.79 goals per game on average. Messi scores about every 104 minutes, while Ronaldo scores about every 112 minutes.

Messi has scored more goals per minute than Ronaldo, but Ronaldo has scored more goals overall because he has played more games and had a longer career. Over the course of their lives, both have kept up very high score rates. This is why the difference between them is often quite small.

Making up games and helping

Ronaldo always scores goals, but Messi is better than him when it comes to setting up goals. Messi has had 378 assists in 1080 games, which means he averages one every three games. Ronaldo has 255 assists in 1250 games, which is still a lot, but Messi has made a bigger effort overall.

Messi makes plays very well, and he is a unique player because he can see where to pass and hit the ball accurately through the middle. Ronaldo has great assists, especially in the UEFA Champions League, where he is better than Messi at his job. Messi has an edge because he can score goals and play well.

How to Dribble and Use Technical Skills

Messi’s style is mostly made up of dribbling and close control. Messi started out as a side striker, and his low center of gravity and great ball control have made it easy for him to get past defenses. His handling style has changed over time, though. In his younger years, Ronaldo was known for having lightning-fast feet and amazing skills. But as time has gone on, he has been depending less on precise dribbling and more on using his strength, position, and aerial skills to score goals.

Success and Trophies Around the World

Both have had varied jobs around the world. As leader of Argentina, Messi led the team to their first World Cup win in 36 years in 2022. After this, he is now one of the most famous football players in the history of the game. Messi won the Copa America in 2021 as well as the World Cup.

Ronaldo, on the other hand, has taken Portugal to both the 2014 and 2016 European Championships and the 2019 Nations League. He hasn’t won the FIFA World Cup yet, though. Both players have won big awards with their national teams, but Messi’s World Cup win gives him an edge in this area.

How the Club Did

An impressive number of awards have been given to both Messi and Ronaldo at the club level. Before moving to Paris Saint-Germain and then Inter Miami, Messi won 10 La Liga titles and 4 Champions League titles with Barcelona. But Ronaldo has done well at more than one club. One with Manchester United and four with Real Madrid are among the titles he has won. He also has three Premier League wins.

In addition to doing well in their own leagues, both players have also done well in foreign games. Ronaldo won the English and Spanish leagues before going to Saudi Arabia and is still doing well as a member of the Saudi Arabian team Al Nassr. Messi is also doing well in Spain.

Individual Awards and the Ballon d’Or

When it comes to individual awards, Lionel Messi has done much better than Cristiano Ronaldo. As of 2023, Messi has won eight Ballon d’Ors, while Ronaldo has won five. Also, Messi has been in the running for the Ballon d’Or 13 times, and Ronaldo has been in the top two 11 times.These awards show that Messi has consistently done amazingly well throughout his career.

Do you think Messi or Ronaldo is better?

At the end of the day, everyone has their own view on whether Cristiano Ronaldo or Lionel Messi is better. Both have had great lives and done great things in many areas of soccer. Ronaldo stands out from the others because of how strong, flexible, and durable he is. Messi, on the other hand, is truly amazing at moving, making plays, and being smart.

Ronaldo is the guy you want because he can break records all the time and do well on many teams and in many leagues. Messi is the most amazing player because of how skilled, talented, and almost awe-inspiring he is at controlling the game.

In the end, Lionel Messi is often praised for his great technical skills, ability to make plays, and World Cup win. However, Cristiano Ronaldo’s record of getting goals, toughness, and years of experience as an athlete make him one of the sport’s all-time greats. Both players have given football fans a lot of unforgettable moments, and they will always be remembered in the game’s past.

Both Messi and Ronaldo have changed what people think about the best football players in the world, no matter which one you pick. The way they fight has made them into heroes in their own right.

All Time Career Stats

Goals By Type

Penalties	109/140	170/201
Free Kick Goals	66	64
Outside the Box	97	68
Inside the Box	578	614
Left Foot	711	177
Right Foot	107	585
Headers	28	152
Other Body Part	4	2

Performance Stats

Shots	3,837	4,787
Shots on Target	1,771	1,928
% of Shots on Target	46.2%	40.3%
Successful Dribbles	3,845	1,881
Key Passes	1,884	1,208
Big Chances Created	521	226
Aerial Duels	159	1,002
Penalty Conversion	77.9%	84.6%
Free Kick Attempts	775	904
Man of the Match*	411	216
Average Match Rating*	8.41	–