Cristiano Ronaldo, a Portuguese footballer and striker for Real Madrid, and Lionel Messi, an Argentinean forward for Barcelona are two of the greatest footballers (soccer players) of our time. Ronaldo is the older of the two, has played in more games and scored more goals than Messi.
Lionel Messi has won the Ballon d'Or for a record 4 times (2010–12, 2015) and Ronaldo won the award in 2013 and 2014. Messi was runner up in the years Ronaldo won the award, while Ronaldo was runner up in 2011 and 2012.

Comparison chart

 
Cristiano Ronaldo versus Lionel Messi comparison chart
Edit this comparison chart Cristiano Ronaldo Lionel Messi
  • current rating is 3.8/5
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Full name Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro Lionel Andrés Messi
Height 1.86 m (6 ft 1 in) 1.69 m (5 ft 7 in)
Date of birth 5 February 1985 [ Age 31 ] 24 June 1987 [ Age 28 ]
Place of birth Funchal, Madeira, Portugal Rosario, Santa Fe, Argentina
Playing position Forward Forward
Number 7 10
Current club Real Madrid C.F. F.C. Barcelona
Club Appearences 673 531
Club goals 487 453
International appearences 119 113
International goals 52 55
National team Portugal Argentina
Strengths Ronaldo will take on any defender with searing pace, and mesmerising footwork to boot. His ability to beat a player and whip in crosses makes him a feared opponent. The way his free-kicks swerve with pace and power is a great asset to his team. His ball skills are second to none, his runs from midfield are usually lethal and he is almost impossible to tackle when he gets his head down. His balance when running at speed is incredible. Also his goal scoring ability is amazing.
Known as CR7 Lionel "Leo" Messi
League La Liga La Liga
Weaknesses On occasion, he goes to ground far too easily and sometimes tries a trick when a simple pass would do. Despite his scoring he sometimes messes up a goal scoring opportunity by doing fancy moves he is incapable of pulling off. Too often he searches for a way to finish moves by himself without looking for teammates in a better position to shoot at goal. His strength can be questioned at times when trying to finish close to the net and gets pushed off the ball too easily.
Games appearances 742 611
Goals Scored 488 490
Career high Won the UEFA Champions League with Manchester United in 2008, and subsequently won the FIFA Ballon d'Or. Won the FIFA Ballon d'Or 4 times in a row.
Career low Losing to Greece in the final of Euro 2004 on home. Unable to perform to his best in the 2006 World Cup in Germany, where Argentina were eliminated in the quarter-finals with Messi looking on from the bench.
Trivia Cristiano's name Ronaldo came from his father's favourite actor, Ronald Reagan. His debut with the national team (against Hungary) was a disaster: he entered the game in the 18th minute of the second half, and 47 seconds later was sent of. Ironically he would move on to become one of the greatest football players of all time.
Senior career Sporting CP, Manchester United, Real Madrid FC FC Barcelon
Club honours 12 21
Individual honours 62 101
Wealth $221 million $210 million