Who is the GOAT? Cristiano Ronaldo equaled a Lionel Messi record

Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi are the protagonists of one of the most important rivalries in the history of the sport. During the last two decades they have competed for the throne of world soccer, receiving the most individual awards and being part of unforgettable teams that won the most important titles in Europe.

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CR7 was chosen in 2008 for the first time as the best player in the world at France Football magazine's Ballon d'Or awards, while Leo did the same the following year. From that moment on they almost monopolized the trophies, as the Portuguese striker received it a total of five times and the Argentine player, eight times. The last of them was in October 2023, mainly thanks to his performance with the Argentina National Team during the Qatar 2022 World Cup.

But that's not all. They are also the two players who have scored the most goals in the history of soccer. In that statistic the number 1 is Ronaldo, who throughout his 22-year professional career has netted 878 goals between Sporting Lisbon, Manchester United, Real Madrid, Juventus, Al-Nassr and the Portugal National Team. In second place is Messi with 821 goals between Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain, Inter Miami and Argentina.

However, until recently Leo was ahead in another statistic: goals excluding penalties. There he was number 1 with 713 goals, but that is no longer the case. Last week Cristiano Ronaldo scored vs Al-Feiha in the Asian Champions League and caught up with the Argentine forward in that ranking. Now both will compete for that spot, although the Portuguese forward seems to have a better chance of winning, considering his impressive scoring streak this season.

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Both will have a demanding year

Lionel Messi will try to lead Inter Miami to the Major League Soccer and CONCACAF Champions League titles, but his main goal in 2024 will be the Copa America. And something similar will happen with Cristiano Ronaldo, who with Al-Nassr is competing in the Pro League and Asian Champions League, but next summer will play Euro 2024 with Portugal.