Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi have dominated football for the better part of the 21st century, according to a statistical comparison of who has performed better at FIFA World Cups. They are widely regarded as two of the greatest football players of all time and have won 12 Ballon d’Or awards between them.
Both Messi and Ronaldo are well into their 30s, and despite the fact that their abilities have slightly diminished in recent years, they continue to be extremely talented players. Fans are hoping that the two players will have a memorable World Cup in 2022 because the 2022 FIFA World Cup is likely to be their last appearance at football’s premier tournament.
There will always be comparisons between Messi and Ronaldo. The debate will continue forever. But which of the two game’s GOATs has performed better at the World Cup?
Let’s examine the statistical comparison between Ronaldo and Messi at FIFA World Cups without further
#10 Appearances [Cristiano Ronaldo – 18, Lionel Messi – 21]
This one goes to Lionel Messi. Messi led the Argentina national team to the World Cup final in 2014. When he reached the semifinals of the FIFA World Cup in 2006, Ronaldo had his longest run at the tournament.
#9 Goals [Cristiano Ronaldo: 8, Lionel Messi: 8]
Both of these football legends scored eight goals during the World Cup. Despite playing a significant role in the World Cup, neither Messi nor Ronaldo has been able to score in the knockout stages.
#8 Assists [Cristiano Ronaldo – 2, Lionel Messi – 6]
Between the two, Messi has consistently been the better playmaker. As a result, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that he has more assists than Ronaldo does. Ronaldo has only assisted two goals, while Messi has assisted six.
#7 Minutes per Goal/Assist [Cristiano Ronaldo: 156.1, Lionel Messi: 128.9]
Messi has scored 14 goals in 21 World Cup appearances. In his 18 games, Ronaldo has scored 10 goals. This one goes to Messi because he has more minutes per goal and assists than his Portuguese opponent.
#6 Hat-tricks [Cristiano Ronaldo – 1, Lionel Messi – 0]
Ronaldo scored a stunning hat trick in Portugal’s 2018 FIFA World Cup opener against Spain. Messi scored one goal. Ronaldo scored one goal. It included a spectacular free kick in the 88th minute that Ronaldo converted to bring his team back within striking distance.
So far in his career, Messi has never scored a hat trick at the World Cup
#5 Penalties [Cristiano Ronaldo – 3, Lionel Messi – 1]
Ronaldo scored three of his eight World Cup goals from the spot. At the tournament, Ronaldo has converted three of the four penalties he has taken. At the World Cup, Messi scored one and missed one penalty kick.
#4 Free kicks [Cristiano Ronaldo 1, Lionel Messi 1]
Both Messi and Ronaldo are well-known free-kick takers. Messi has simply mastered the art like no one else, surpassing the Portuguese icon in recent years. During the first half of his career, Ronaldo was deadly with his free kicks. Recently, his effectiveness in dead-ball situations has drastically decreased.
#3 Successful dribbles [Cristiano Ronaldo – 36, Lionel Messi – 114]
Cristiano Ronaldo has 36 successful dribbles at FIFA World Cups, while Lionel Messi has 114. Although it is a pretty impressive number, Messi’s incredible dribbling performance dwarfs it.
One of the best dribblers in history is the seven-time Ballon d’Or winner. At World Cups, he has completed 114 dribbles.
#2 Key Passes [Cristiano Ronaldo: 22, Lionel Messi: 58]
Messi outperforms the majority of his peers when it comes to chance creation because he can plan plays. Ronaldo has 22 key passes, while Messi has a whopping 58.
#1 Man of the match awards [Cristiano Ronaldo – 7, Lionel Messi – 7]
Cristiano Ronaldo is unquestionably significant. In seven of his 21 World Cup matches, Messi has performed exceptionally well. Ronaldo has performed similarly well. On the largest stage in football, he has won seven men of the match awards.
However, Rolando has a slightly better ratio of seven match-of-the-match awards to Messi’s one in 18 games.