The head-to-head record of Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi

THE QUESTION that divides football fans around the world is whether Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo is the superior player.

For nine years, they added some heat to El Clasicos and were poised to meet in the Champions League Round of 16 before the draw was reversed due to an error.

Manchester United and Paris Saint-Germain were drawn together in the first round, however due to a botched ball selection, the draw has been redone.

The greatest modern-era managers have spoken out, fans have spoken out, and even former teammates have weighed in on the never-ending GOAT argument.

So we decided to look beyond the awards and accolades to discover how they performed in direct competition.

Of course, the two have competed against each other in dozens of El Clasico matches over the years.

When Real Madrid played Barcelona, they would not only share the same pitch, but they would also compete for LaLiga dominance season after season.

To the fans of both clubs, El Clasico has always been more than just a football match, and having the two finest players in the world added a new level.

During his tenure at Manchester United and Real Madrid, Juventus, and on the international scene, Ronaldo faced Messi 36 times in all.

Due to coronavirus, the Portuguese icon was forced to miss the first group stage match between Juve and Barcelona, but he made sure to avenge himself in the rematch, scoring a brace from the penalty spot.

In all of their matches, Messi edged out the former Los Blancos ace by one goal, scoring 22 times.

Despite having one goal fewer than Ronaldo, he holds the record for scoring in the most consecutive El Clasicos – six in a row in 2012.

In 2017, Messi scored his 500th goal for the Catalan giants against Real in a thrilling match that also propelled Barca to the top of LaLiga.

To demonstrate why he is regarded as the greatest player of all time, the Argentina ace famously whipped off his No10 shirt and held it aloft to the away fans.

Ronaldo, of course, had to speak up later.

When he returned to the Nou Camp in August 2017 to score in the first leg of the Supercopa de Espana final, he mimicked his great rival’s celebration by flashing his No7 shirt to the crowd.

Ronaldo’s night took a turn for the worst when he was given a second yellow card for diving, resulting in the striker PUSHING the referee.

He’d already been charged with removing his shirt in imitation of Messi’s celebration.

In the 36 fights between the two, neither hero has received a red card, with Messi keeping his calm and escaping with three less yellows than his arch-rival.

Because football is a numbers game, the Argentine maestro leads the way in terms of goal totals.

Messi has 16 wins, Ronaldo has 11, and there have been nine draws in the 35 games.

In the 2008 Champions League semi-finals, Ronaldo’s United defeated Barcelona with a 0-0 stalemate at the Nou Camp and a 1-0 victory at Old Trafford.

A year later, Messi and his teammates gained their revenge, winning the 2009 final 2-0, with Messi scoring a header.

That was the start of a five-game winning streak for Messi over Ronaldo, which included a 5-0 Barcelona victory and a 2-1 Argentina victory over Portugal in an international friendly in which both players scored.

In the 2012-13 LaLiga season, arguably their best match took place in Barcelona, as both players scored twice in a 2-2 tie.

Messi spent his entire career at Barcelona, until his contract ended last summer.

The Argentine joined PSG and has five UCL goals in the group stages, although it isn’t nearly as much as Ronaldo’s six for Manchester United.

After winning the Ballon d’Or for the record-breaking seventh time, Ronaldo may have the opportunity to humiliate Messi.