Lionel Messi goals scored record vs Cristiano Ronaldo: Who will finish with most in history by a men’s player?
Despite not being recognized as a through and through striker, Lionel Messi has managed to score goals with ridiculous frequency throughout his career and that has continued throughout his time at PSG.
The Argentine has achieved milestones throughout his career and continues to chase more history in front of goal.
Arguably the most prestigious record yet to be conquered is the all-time goals scored by a male player in the history of the sport. That’s a mark Cristiano Ronaldo currently holds, but Messi is certainly within reach.
Messi’s career ends at the age of 35 and nobody knows exactly how much longer he will play. Ronaldo continues to score goals for his new club in Saudi Arabia and Messi will need to do it a little more to catch up with his fellow superstar.
MORE: When was the last time Messi won the Champions League?
Lionel Messi 800 goals
Messi is now just one goal away from his next big milestone as he approaches 800 goals for club and country.
The world champion has currently scored 799 goals, his last goal came against Nantes in Ligue 1 on March 4, 2023.
Messi has remained goalless in his last two games, with PSG next up against Rennes in Ligue 1 on Sunday 19 March.
After scoring his 800th goal, Messi’s next notable milestone will be his 100th goal for Argentina, with the attacker currently on 98.
Goals by Lionel Messi
| team | games | Goals |
|---|---|---|
| Barcelona | 778 | 672 |
| PSG | 65 | 29 |
| Argentina | 172 | 98 |
| In total | 1015 | 799 |
Lionel Messi goals record chase
Aside from setting his own personal milestones, Messi remains within reach of becoming the all-time leading goalscorer in the history of the sport.
Cristiano Ronaldo currently holds the record with 828 goals for club and country. The Portugal legend is remarkable two years older than Messi and has played 140 more games to date.
The table below was updated on March 19, 2023
| rank | player | Goals | games |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Cristiano Ronaldo | 828 | 1155 |
| 2. | Joseph Bikan | 805 | 530 |
| 3. | Lionel Messi | 799 | 1015 |
Ronaldo now plays his club football in Saudi Arabia with Al Nassr, which could presumably put him ahead of Messi in terms of scoring chances and goals. Messi will have to deal with teams from Ligue 1 that are more challenging, at least on paper.
But should Ronaldo step down before Messithe Argentine could get a one-time window to replace the Portuguese striker as the all-time top scorer.
Lionel Messi versus Cristiano Ronaldo
Ronaldo had a very significant advantage on Messi in terms of her professional career.
The Portuguese striker’s first taste of senior football came in 2002/03To give him two seasons ahead of Messi who only made his debut in the first team in 2004/05.
In that span, Ronaldo has netted 13 times for club and country as he quickly began to find his feet in front of goal.
In the season that Messi made his senior debut in 2004/05, he netted just once, while Ronaldo scored another 16 goals in the same season.
It wasn’t until 2008/09 that Messi surpassed Ronaldo in a single season with the Argentine still catching up all these years later.