With the Copa America 2024 and European Championships 2024 key sporting events this summer, both Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi will be amongst the top stars at the tournaments.

Throughout their careers, they have been endlessly compared and contrasted. Cristiano Ronaldo plied his trade for many years at Real Madrid, Lionel Messi was at Barcelona. Both have scored ridiculous amounts of goals and won almost every award it is possible to win.

Yet, the question remains: Who truly reigns supreme? The debate over the greatest footballer of our time, Cristiano Ronaldo or Lionel Messi, continues to captivate and divide fans.

In this article, we intend to compare the two superstars across seven key criteria. With the aim of making a valued judgement on who is, definitively, the best.

Remember, bet365 Sport offers extensive betting on Argentina (Lionel Messi) and Portugal (Cristiano Ronaldo) for their respective tournaments this summer.

Let’s now see if we can settle the age-old debate of who is the greatest? Cristiano Ronaldo or Lionel Messi?

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Cristiano Ronaldo v Lionel Messi – Who Is The Greatest?

The debate will be judged on seven key criteria:

1. Tale of the Tape
2. Club Football Data
3. Club Football Honours
4. International Football Data
5. International Football Honours
6. Personal Honours
7. Head-to-Head Performances

This post aims to look solely at the data, without opinion, initially. Then when we have digested the story of what the data tells us, we can offer a view on whether it is Cristiano Ronaldo or Lionel Messi that is really the best.

Cristiano Ronaldo v Lionel Messi – Tale of the Tape

Cristiano Ronaldo v Lionel Messi – Club Data

Cristiano Ronaldo v Lionel Messi – Club Honours

Cristiano Ronaldo v Lionel Messi – International Data

*These numbers were correct ahead of the start of Euro 2024 and the Copa America 2024.

Cristiano Ronaldo v Lionel Messi – International Honours

Cristiano Ronaldo v Lionel Messi – Personal Honours

Cristiano Ronaldo v Lionel Messi – Head-to-Head Performances

Here’s how the two compare in head-to-head stats in games where they have played against each other.

The Final Comparisons

Let’s now draw together all the key data into a final table to compare these two footballing legends.

What this data tells us is that both Ronaldo and Messi are far and away the best players of their generation.

In terms of pure appearance and goals data, Ronaldo has the edge, but he is also three years older than Messi.

However, in terms of trophies and personal awards, Messi has won far more in his career at club and international level.

Ronaldo is the embodiment of what hard work, dedication allied to supreme physical attributes and conditioning can achieve for a naturally gifted footballer.

But the difference between the two is so small and it boils down to one thing. Ronaldo is a supreme generational talent rarely seen in the history of football.

But Lionel Messi is a genius. That is the sole difference, and it is why Messi is the better of the two players.

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