Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are in the twilight of their careers. But the phenomenal duo continue to operate at a very high level. Both Messi and Ronaldo switched clubs last summer to varying degrees of success at both an individual level as well as with their respective clubs.
The Lionel Messi - Cristiano Ronaldo debate has another chapter
The debate over who is the better player between the two might never end. But we can compare their achievements and stats from the 2021-22 season to decide who has had the better campaign. Without further ado, let's dive straight into it.
#13 Goals [Cristiano Ronaldo - 24, Lionel Messi - 11]
Cristiano Ronaldo has outshone Lionel Messi in the goalscoring department this season. He was brought in to add goals to the Manchester United side and he delivered on that front. Messi has been a huge disappointment in that regard.
#12 Assists [Cristiano Ronaldo - 3, Lionel Messi 14]
Lionel Messi has always been the better playmaker between the two. Playing a bit more of a deeper role for Paris Saint-Germain this term, Messi executed the role of the creator-in-chief to great effect. He picked up 14 assists as opposed to Ronaldo's three.
#11 Minutes-per-goal ratio [Cristiano Ronaldo - 134.3, Lionel Messi 261]
Lionel Messi did not have his best shooting boots on this term and that reflects in his woeful minutes-per-goal ratio. Ronaldo's minutes-per-goal ratio is almost twice as good as Messi's.
#10 Minutes per G/A [Cristiano Ronaldo - 134, Lionel Messi - 115]
Although Messi has been unable to score at a prolific rate, he has been able to create chances and assist his teammates on a consistent basis. Meanwhile, Ronaldo hasn't offered much in addition to his goals.
#9 Hat-tricks [Cristiano Ronaldo - 2, Lionel Messi - 0]
Cristiano Ronaldo scored two hat-tricks for Manchester United in the 2021-22 season. Both of those came in the Premier League, namely against Tottenham Hotspur and Norwich City. Messi failed to score a hat-trick this season.
#8 Penalties scored [Cristiano Ronaldo - 3, Lionel Messi - 2]
Ronaldo had to alternate with Bruno Fernandes when it came to taking penalties for Manchester United. He dispatched three from the spot while Messi scored two. But Messi also missed a crucial penalty for Paris Saint-Germain in the first leg of their Round of 16 tie against Real Madrid. PSG eventually lost the tie 3-2.
Ronaldo also missed a crucial penalty against Middlesbrough in the FA Cup and the Red Devils ended up losing the game in a shootout.
#7 Free-kicks scored [Cristiano Ronaldo - 1, Lionel Messi - 0]
This is quite a departure from what we've come to accept as the norm in recent seasons. Messi had established himself as the better free-kick taker between the two. But Ronaldo managed to score a thumping free-kick on the way to securing a hat-trick in Manchester United's 3-2 win over Norwich City.
Messi failed to find the back of the net from a free-kick this season.
#6 Goals from outside the box [Cristiano Ronaldo - 5, Lionel Messi - 4]
Both Ronaldo and Messi scored four goals each from outside the box from open play. However, Ronaldo edges out Messi in this regard when we add the free-kick he scored against Norwich City.
#5 Goals from inside the box [Cristiano Ronaldo - 19, Lionel Messi - 7]
Cristiano Ronaldo is a fox-in-the-box. He is a solid centre-forward and that reflects in these numbers. But it's worth noting that Messi operated in a deeper role than Ronaldo and it's understandable that his output from inside the box is considerably lower.
#4 Goals with weaker foot [Cristiano Ronaldo - 2, Lionel Messi - 0]
Cristiano Ronaldo is renowned for his ability to shoot with both feet while Messi is widely viewed as a one-footed player. Ronaldo scored two goals with his weaker left foot while all of Messi's 11 goals were scored with his left.
#3 Headed goals [Cristiano Ronaldo - 3, Lionel Messi - 0]
One of the reasons why Cristiano Ronaldo has been able to transition into a quality centre-forward in the latter stages of his career is his aerial ability. He has consistently outshone Messi in this regard and has done so once again this season.
Messi has scored zero headers this term while Ronaldo has found the back of the net three times with his head.
#2 Shots per goal [Cristiano Ronaldo - 5.54, Lionel Messi - 10.45]
Cristiano Ronaldo has a much better conversion rate than Lionel Messi. His rate of 5.54 shots per goal is almost twice as good as Messi's 10.45.
#1 Man-of-the-match awards [Cristiano Ronaldo - 7, Lionel Messi - 7]
The number of man-of-the-match awards a player has won over the course of a season is a good way to measure how influential he has been to his side. Ronaldo and Messi are tied in this respect. Both have won seven man-of-the-match awards each across their respective domestic leagues and the UEFA Champions League.
Verdict: Cristiano Ronaldo has had the better season
Between the two legends, Cristiano Ronaldo has had a superior season at an individual level. He has scored more goals, hat-tricks, long-range goals, free-kick goals and has a better minutes-per-goal ratio as well.
Messi has won the Ligue 1 title but he struggled to settle down in a much less competitive league and was nowhere near his best. He has had some of the world's best players around him while Ronaldo has had to work with a mediocre Manchester United squad.
The Argentina international has more assists and better dribbling numbers but those have more to do with the fact that he operates in a deeper role than Ronaldo.