They’ve damaged all of the data however can they win a World Cup?
November 18, 2022
High illustration: Nazario Graziano / agencyrush.com
Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have outlined one another’s careers, legacies and the world of soccer for greater than a decade.
They’ve managed to match one another, scaling beforehand unmapped heights, but they embody totally different philosophies.
There may be Messi — shorter, extra introverted, a pure footballing genius who shares his creativity with the staff, helping virtually as a lot as he scores. After which there’s Ronaldo — taller, a bodily specimen who bulldozes his means via defenses, grafting and coaching till he was merely higher than anybody else on the sphere.
However for all their accolades, neither has gained the World Cup. The Qatar 2022 competitors might be their final probability to find out whether or not considered one of them can lastly win the largest trophy of all.
See how the star gamers match up, going again to their skilled debuts.
Cristiano Ronaldo
Lionel Messi
Aug. 2002
Ronaldo makes skilled debut at 17 years previous, enjoying for Portuguese facet Sporting Clube de Portugal.
Aug. 2003
Wins first Portugal cap at 18, approaching as an alternative towards Kazakhstan.
Oct. 2004
At 17 years previous, Messi makes first of 778 appearances for Barcelona. On the time, he’s the youngest to characterize the membership in an official recreation.
Aug. 2005
Makes Argentina debut, at 18 years previous, as an alternative in a pleasant match towards Hungary, however is shipped off simply two minutes later.
June 2006
Nets first of seven World Cup targets, scored throughout 4 tournaments, to grow to be — at 21 years previous — the youngest Portuguese participant to attain in a World Cup.
Turns into youngest participant to characterize Argentina at a World Cup and scores inside 13 minutes, changing into sixth-youngest goalscorer within the event’s historical past.
Apr. 2007
Scores arguably his best objective as he weaves previous a number of Getafe defenders. Certainly one of 672 strikes for Barça.
Could 2009
Conjures up Barcelona to beat Ronaldo’s Manchester United in Champions League ultimate, his second of 4 titles. He finishes the event as its prime scorer.
July 2009
Joins Actual Madrid from Manchester United for a then-world document $130 million payment.
Nov. 2009
After inspiring Barça to a historic three trophies in a single season, the 22-year-old turns into first Argentine to win Ballon d’Or.
Dec. 2009
Wins the inaugural Puskás Award for his electrifying 40-yard objective — the ball traveled a mean velocity of 64 miles per hour — for Manchester United towards Porto.
July 2010
Argentina knocked out of the 2010 World Cup by Germany within the quarterfinals. Messi is known as within the Staff of the Match, however he suffers accusations of caring extra about membership than nation.
Apr. 2011
Time journal names Messi as one of the vital influential individuals on the planet for the primary of two consecutive years.
Mar. 2012
At 24, he breaks Barcelona’s scoring document and scores a document 91 targets in the identical calendar 12 months.
Apr. 2014
Time journal names Ronaldo among the many 100 most influential individuals of the 12 months.
July 2014
Argentina loses to Germany within the World Cup ultimate. Messi wins a event document of 4 man-of-the match awards in a single World Cup and accepts the Golden Ball award for participant of the event with seven targets.
Nov. 2014
Messi turns into La Liga’s all-time prime scorer after a hat-trick towards Sevilla, breaking Telmo Zarra’s document of 251 targets.
The CR7 galaxy is known as after the soccer star, on the finish of a season the place he loved probably the most prolific marketing campaign of his membership profession, scoring 61 occasions in 54 video games.
Oct. 2015
Turns into Actual’s all-time main scorer with 324 targets. He ends his Madrid profession with 450 targets in simply 438 video games.
June 2016
A objective within the Copa América Centenario quarterfinals establishes him as Argentina’s all-time main scorer. After La Albiceleste’s loss within the ultimate, he broadcasts his worldwide retirement, a choice he reverses shortly afterwards following pleas from Argentina’s president.
July 2016
Wins first main worldwide trophy on the European Championship in France, however is carried off injured in tears after simply 25 minutes of the ultimate.
Initially sentenced to 21 months in jail for tax fraud, however escapes with $2.3 million superb as an alternative. Messi — alongside together with his father Jorge Messi — was discovered responsible of defrauding Spain of $4.6 million between 2007 and 2009.
Apr. 2017
Scores a hat-trick towards Bayern Munich to grow to be the primary participant to attain 100 Champions League targets.
Mar. 2018
Scores his a centesimal Champions League objective, reaching the milestone in fewer video games than Ronaldo. Solely he and Ronaldo have scored no less than 100 targets within the competitors to this point.
Could 2018
First participant to win the Champions League 5 occasions. He gained his first with Manchester United in 2008 earlier than profitable the competitors with Actual Madrid in 2014, 2016, 2017 and 2018.
June 2018
At Russia 2018, turns into first man to attain in eight consecutive main worldwide tournaments.
July 2018
On the age of 33, Ronaldo indicators for Italian staff Juventus in a reported $117 million switch deal.
Oct. 2018
Accused of rape by Kathryn Mayorga, who claims she was paid $375,000 to signal an NDA; case later dismissed. He denies the allegations.
July 2019
Messi despatched off within the thirty seventh minute of the third-place Copa América playoff. He refuses to just accept his third-place medal and receives a three-month ban from worldwide soccer in addition to a $50,000 superb.
July 2021
Aug. 2021
Returns to Manchester United and finishes first season because the membership’s prime objective scorer. Relationship with staff implodes after explosive interview in November 2022.
Indicators on a two-year deal for French staff Paris Saint-Germain, bringing his long-term affiliation with Barça to an finish with the Catalan membership struggling financially.
Sep. 2021
Breaks worldwide scoring document with two targets towards Eire, taking his tally to 117 targets in 191 internationals and cementing his standing as an all-time nice.
Feb. 2022
First particular person to succeed in 400 million Instagram followers.
Sep. 2022
Wins document 164th Argentina cap and scores ninetieth worldwide objective, transferring him to 3rd on the all-time males’s worldwide scoring chart.
Nov. 2022
Aiming to win a first World Cup after 4 failed makes an attempt. If he scores, he’ll grow to be the primary man to attain in 5 World Cups. He wants three extra targets to overhaul Eusébio and grow to be Portugal’s all-time main scorer within the competitors.
Aiming to win a first World Cup after 4 failed makes an attempt. Ought to he take to the sphere in Qatar, he’ll enter elite firm as solely three different gamers have beforehand competed at 5 World Cups.
