Ronaldo vs Messi on the final stages of their careers - who has the upper hand?

There are remarkable similarities in their upbringings, both rising to global prominence after respective humble origins. Ronaldo came from an impoverished family background on the island of Madeira, where his early days were beset with a heart condition. Messi, son of a steel factory manager, quickly latched onto football as means of escaping from drudgery in the central Argentina city of Rosario. As both players enter the autumn years of their glittering careers, the enduring question remains: who has had the upper hand?

Club honours

One difference between them is the way Ronaldo’s career has been spread over hugely successful spells at various clubs – Sporting Lisbon, Manchester United, Real Madrid, and Juventus – winning a total of seven league titles, whereas Messi has remained at Spanish giants Barcelona for his entire senior career, achieving 10 La Liga championships. When it comes to Champions League success, Ronaldo has the upper hand, lifting the coveted trophy on five occasions compared to Messi’s four. Altogether at Barcelona, Messi has won a club-record 34 trophies.

Goal-scoring abilities

Ronaldo has scored a total of 729 goals with 224 assists in just over 1,000 senior matches, while Messi has hit the back of the net 700 times, with 296 assists, in 863 games. And the last time they faced each other during a league encounter? A 2-2 draw between Real Madrid and Barcelona in May 2018. It was hardly a surprise that both rivals ended up on the scoresheet.

Personal awards

The most prestigious prize given to footballers for their achievements, the Ballon D’Or (Golden Boot) has been presented to Messi six times, and Ronaldo five.

Away from football

If you were to assess their career through the lens of statistics, it would be plain to see how this hypothetical race would be close to a photo finish. But where Ronaldo will always be regarded as the most influential footballer is where his digital presence is concerned. In short, Ronaldo, not Messi, is a social media phenomenon.

Carefully nurturing his public person, refusing tattoos (because he donates blood and bone marrow regularly), channeling large tracts of his immense income to charitable causes, and cultivating a family image, Ronaldo has been fastidious in self-promotion. He has earned far more than Messi, through lucrative sponsorship deals (he is the second highest-earning athlete of all time, just behind boxer Floyd Mayweather Junior). This has made him a role model to millions across the globe. That combination of skills on the pitch and determination in his private life is what his legions of fans aspire to. There are millions of fans across the web and it’s only makes sense that many of them will undoubtedly seek to emulate their hero by signing up to an appropriate dating platform with many of them being represented on comparasitiosdecitas – and not one catering for traditional dating, but an outlet where they could connect with other supporters of Juventus (or any of his previous clubs), who have similar affinities.

Easily the most popular sports personality on social media, he has over 500 million followers on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook, and has even launched his own apps, while his name is the most searched for footballer. Perhaps much of this disparity is also down to their respective personalities. Messi prefers actions to speak louder than words, a supreme exponent of the sport who can make anything look deceptively easy. Ronaldo is a more flamboyant performer, known for his ability to try anything, unleash latent skills at any time, and prone to exuberant gesticulating when things don’t go his way!