In a recent survey conducted by The Athletic (via Mirror) of 100 footballers (retired and playing), when asked to choose between Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi in terms of career success, a clear majority voted in favor of Ronaldo.
As per the results of the survey, 66% of the participants opined that Manchester United forward Cristiano Ronaldo has enjoyed more success on the pitch. Only 34% were of the opinion that Lionel Messi has accomplished more.
The pair has enjoyed highly successful careers. They've won virtually everything at club level. On an individual level, Lionel Messi comes out on top with seven Ballon d'Or awards while Cristiano Ronaldo has five.
Ronaldo has enjoyed league success in three different countries (England, Spain, and Italy), while Messi has won league titles in Spain and France. Ronaldo has three Premier League titles and a couple of La Liga and Serie A triumphs to his name. His five UEFA Champions League titles set him apart from Messi.
Messi won La Liga 10 times with Barcelona and picked up the Ligue 1 title last season with Paris Saint-Germain. He has four triumphs in the Champions League. Both players have one major trophy with their national teams. Ronaldo won EURO 2016 with Portugal and Messi guided Argentina to the Copa America title last year.
Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are enjoying contrasting campaigns this season
As part of the survey, the 100 participants were also asked which player they would prefer as a teammate. An overwhelming majority voted in favor of Lionel Messi, with 73% wanting to play alongside the PSG star. Meanwhile, Cristiano Ronaldo had the vote of just 27% of players.
While both players have had great careers, FIFA World Cup glory is the one thing missing from their CVs. With the main event in Qatar roughly 50 days away, both players have endured contrasting fortunes.
Lionel Messi has hit a rich vein of form and scored four goals in two friendly games for Argentina during the international break. Cristiano Ronaldo, on the other hand, came up short as Portugal failed to make it to the UEFA Nations League semi-finals.
La Pulga has also enjoyed a better run at club level, scoring six goals in Ligue 1 for PSG. Meanwhile, Ronaldo is yet to open his account in the Premier League with Manchester United.
While the Messi-Ronaldo debate will continue to rage on, their performances at the World Cup in November will help them earn a decisive lead over each other.
Emmanuel4jesus12
450
Whatever. Messi is the greatest football players we have ever seen, Ronaldo is just lucky to play during the time of Messi
Football⚽/Fan
230
“Messi is class. There is him, and then there is the rest. What he does is extraordinary.” It is not easy to win the player of the tournament award in every tournament he plays... Even Pele, Maradona didn't win everything in their football career, forget about normal players that they can't even think about. But Offcoure they can dream about it.
teebaby
186
Messi is the most complete player
DilipBiswas
136
Current situation
HïlläryÇhüçks
78
Cristiano all the way......CR7 🐐💪💪
Mangisha
60
That 60+ for Ronaldo. I knw either the voting was done in Portugal, Manchester Utd part or in Madrid, RM part. Otherwise it was by his fans. A human being in his right 5 senses (actually only one sense is needed :the sense that reasons) would never say Ronaldo was a better play. For what reason? He scores or he has won titles in many leagues? Well, how do u compare a scorer to someone who does that and MORE? Winning in many leagues? Are you telling us Alves, Zlatan are better than Ronaldo? Bcos those have played in many leagues, and won more than Ronaldo did. A bit of reasoning you will find you can't compare Ronaldo to Messi, that's an insult to Messi. At the end of the day, Ronaldo being compared to Messi is the greatest achievement of his career. One day after he retires he will think of it, and he will be proud. That he was compared to Messi.
ThaiKa92
49
That's the difference
Kuhblnsy
13
Whatever. Messi is the greatest football players we have ever seen, Ronaldo is just lucky to play during the time of Messi
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well if you play in the Messi era and still find yourself with 5 Ballon d Orr + leading goal scorer in the champions league +3 consecutive champions league titles then you must good, but I really don't care who is better i am just privileged to have seen both of them at their peak and trust me no defenders enjoyed playing against them at their peak, for all those idiots who claim Ronaldo only score goals they should remember he started out as a winger for Manchester united before they turned him into striker at real Madrid, but most of these people knows nothing about football,,