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27.01.2022 » Was Ronaldo better than Messi in 2021?
The everlasting debate on who is the better player, Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo, will continue throughout their careers and long after. Even some of the best betting sites take wagers on which of the two will score the most goals. As another year has passed, another 12 months of stats have been collected so we can once again compare these two footballing legends and take one step further in determining which one is better. 2021 was a busy year of football with appearances in the Champions League for both players, the Copa America for Messi and the European Championships for Ronaldo. With Messi turning 35 this year and Ronaldo 37, we may not have many of these stat comparisons left so let's get straight into it.
Cristiano Ronaldo vs Lionel Messi - 2021:
Goals scored in 2021
::: Cristiano Ronaldo: 47
::: Lionel Messi: 43
Ronaldo pips Messi to the most goals stat by bagging four more throughout 2021 for club and country. His five goals during Portugal's Euro 2020 campaign certainly helped.
Current Score: Ronaldo 1 - 0 Messi
Goals scored for cub in 2021
::: Cristiano Ronaldo: 34
::: Lionel Messi: 34
However, the two are all square on total goals for their clubs. Both players moved clubs in the summer of 2021 with Messi leaving Barcelona following 16 seasons with the club to join PSG and Ronaldo transferring from Juventus to his old club, Manchester United.
Current Score: Ronaldo 2 - 1 Messi
Minutes per goal scored for club in 2021
::: Cristiano Ronaldo: 116
::: Lionel Messi: 125
Although they scored the same number of goals for their clubs throughout 2021, Cristiano played more minutes and so Messi takes this stat.
Current Score: Ronaldo 2 - 2 Messi
AsSists made in 2021
::: Cristiano Ronaldo: 18
::: Lionel Messi: 7
Messi had a much better year in terms of assisting goals than Ronaldo did and proves his worth as both a goalscorer and a playmaker.
Current Score: Ronaldo 2 - 3 Messi
Goals scored in the Champions League in 2021
::: Cristiano Ronaldo: 6
::: Lionel Messi: 7
Bagging one goal more throughout 2021 in the Champions League with two for Barcelona and five for PSG, Messi adds to his lead.
Current Score: Ronaldo 2 - 4 Messi
Goals scored for their countries in 2021
::: Cristiano Ronaldo: 13
::: Lionel Messi: 9
Although neither player featured in the same tournament they both played for their countries throughout the year.
Messi bagged four goals in Copa America 2021 and five in the qualification stages whereas Ronaldo netted five times during Euro 2020, six in qualifying and once in Portugal's friendly against Israel back in September.
Current Score: Ronaldo 3 - 4 Messi
Goals scored without penalties included in 2021
::: Cristiano Ronaldo: 37
::: Lionel Messi: 37
When goals from open play throughout 2021 are considered, the two are again all square.
Current Score: Ronaldo 4 - 5 Messi
Trophies won for teams in 2021
::: Cristiano Ronaldo: 1
::: Lionel Messi: 2
Lionel Messi won the 2020/21 Copa del Rey with his old club Barcelona in 2021 and also lifted the Copa America with Argentina. Ronaldo settled for one trophy throughout the year by winning the Coppa Italia with Juventus.
Current Score: Ronaldo 4 - 6 Messi
Conclusion
Although Messi came out on top based on the stats we have provided, there really isn't anything separating these two amazing players who are still two of the best in the world even in their mid-thirties.
Comparing the two can be fun but we should just be grateful that we have the pleasure of watching them on the field still.
Cristiano Ronaldo next game for Manchester United is on February 4, against Middlesbrough. You can watch Manchester United vs Middlesbrough, Athletic Bilbao vs Real Madrid, Chile vs Argentina, Ecuador vs Brazil, PSG vs Nice, and Bayern Munich vs RB Leipzig, all matches provided from our streaming soccer game pages.
Manchester United next game:
Manchester United vs Middlesbrough kick-off time (04-02-2022):
Beijing (China) | UTC/GMT+8: 03:00
Jakarta (Indonesia) | UTC/GMT+7: 02:00
India (New Delhi) | UTC/GMT+5.30: 00:30
Italy (Turin) | UTC/GMT+2: 21:00
Spain (Madrid) | UTC/GMT+2: 21:00
Portugal and England (Lisbon/London) | UTC/GMT+1: 20:00
Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) | UTC/GMT-3: 16:00
New York (United States) | UTC/GMT-4: 15:00
Los Angeles (United States) | UTC/GMT-7: 12:00
Sources: ronaldo7.net / eurosport.com / cnn.com / espn.co.uk
