Messi vs Ronaldo, goal by goal
This interactive chart tracks the career goals of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo season by season, combining club and country. Drag the timeline or tap any point to read the running totals and the milestones each player passed. Below are the questions people most often ask about the two greatest goalscorers of their generation.
Frequently asked questions
Who has scored more career goals, Messi or Ronaldo?
Across club and country combined, Cristiano Ronaldo has held the lead in total career goals for most of their careers, while Lionel Messi leads on other measures such as assists and Ballon d'Or awards. Drag the timeline to the final season to see the current totals side by side in the chart.
How many career goals does each one have?
Both have passed 800 career goals for club and country, a milestone essentially no other player in football history has reached. The exact running total for each season is shown on the chart; drag the timeline to the end for the latest figures.
Do the totals include international goals?
Yes. The chart adds each player's club goals and national-team goals together, season by season, so every line is a combined club-and-country total.
Do the totals include penalties?
Yes. Official goal counts include penalties, so both players' totals count spot-kicks. Ronaldo in particular has scored a large share of his goals from the penalty spot.
Which clubs did they play for?
Messi: Barcelona (by far his most prolific spell), Paris Saint-Germain and Inter Miami. Ronaldo: Sporting CP, Manchester United (two spells), Real Madrid (his highest-scoring era), Juventus and Al Nassr.
Who has more goals for their national team?
Ronaldo, who holds the record for the most goals in men's international football, with Portugal. Messi is Argentina's all-time leading scorer and won the 2022 World Cup.
Who has more Champions League goals?
Ronaldo is the all-time top scorer in the UEFA Champions League and Messi is second; the two are far ahead of every other player in the competition's history.
Who scored the most goals in a single year or season?
Messi holds the record for the most goals in a single calendar year (91 in 2012) and for the most goals in one La Liga season, both benchmarks that still stand.
Are they the top scorers in football history?
They are the two most prolific scorers of the modern era and among the highest of all time. A handful of older players are sometimes cited using unofficial or friendly-inclusive tallies, but for recognised competitive goals, Messi and Ronaldo sit at the very top.
Are they still adding to their totals?
Yes. Both are still playing, Messi at Inter Miami and Ronaldo at Al Nassr, so their goal counts keep growing. The chart runs through the most recent completed season.
Club and country goals combined, from each player's professional debut to the latest season in the chart.