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The Messi–Ronaldo rivalry, or Ronaldo–Messi rivalry, is a sporting rivalry in football propelled by the media and fans that involves Argentine footballer Lionel Messi and Portuguese footballer Cristiano Ronaldo, mainly for being contemporaries and due to their similar records and sporting successes.[1] They spent nine seasons in the prime of their careers facing off regularly while playing for rival clubs Barcelona and Real Madrid.


Cristiano Ronaldo (left) and Lionel Messi before an international friendly between Argentina and Portugal in February 2011

A cigarette strap bin titled in Polish "Who is the better player?" in an attempt to establish who the best player is among the duo
Together, they have achieved various historical milestones, coming to be considered as two of the best footballers of all time. They are two of the most decorated players ever, having won 77 official trophies in total (Messi 44,[A] Ronaldo 33) during their senior careers thus far, and have regularly broken the 50-goal barrier in a single season. According to IFFHS, they are the only two players to score over 800 goals each in their careers for club and country. Ronaldo holds the record for most official goals in a career.

Journalists and pundits regularly argue the individual merits of both players in an attempt to establish who they believe is the best player in modern football or ever. Regardless of preference, football critics generally agree that they are both the best players of their generation, outperforming their peers by a significant margin.[11] Ronaldo has received praise for his physical attributes, goalscoring skills, and performance under pressure, while Messi is lauded for his combination of dribbling, playmaking, passing and goalscoring.[12] Some commentators choose to analyse the differing physiques and playing styles of the two,[13] while part of the debate revolves around the contrasting personalities of the two players; Ronaldo is sometimes described as someone of temperamental character while Messi is considered to have a more reserved personality.[14]

The rivalry has been compared to past global sports rivalries such as the Muhammad Ali–Joe Frazier rivalry in boxing, the Prost–Senna rivalry in motorsport, and the tennis rivalries between