Ronaldo vs Messi: End of 2022 may also mean the end of football's greatest rivalry

Cristiano Ronaldo's blockbuster move to Al-Nassr may mean the end of an almost two-decade-long rivalry between him and Lionel Messi in European football. The rivalry between the two may end as two of the greatest players in the world will now play their club football on two different continents.

Messi vs Ronaldo rivalry may have just come to an end

The only way fans can now witness yet another Cristiano Ronaldo vs Lionel Messi clash is if the two were to meet in an international friendly or if PSG and Al-Nassr both qualify for the Club World Cup final. While there is still a chance that the two superstars could meet in an international friendly, it seems unlikely that the two would meet in another club game.

With that in mind, here is a look at a Messi vs Ronaldo stats comparison, and a look at the number of trophies each has won during their glittering careers so far.

Messi vs Ronaldo trophies comparison

It is only fair that the 'GOAT' debate takes place between Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi as the two footballers have won almost every trophy there is to win in both club and international football. When it comes to the highest individual honour in football, the Ballon d'Or, Ronaldo has won it on five occasions while Messi has won it seven times. When it comes to overall trophies, Messi may just have a clear edge now after he led Argentina to a historic FIFA World Cup title.

With the addition of the World Cup, the 35-year-old has won an overall 29 team trophies that also include a Copa America, an Olympics gold, 11 league titles and four UEFA Champions League trophies, among others. On the other hand, Ronaldo has won 22 trophies that include one European Championship, one UEFA Nations League, seven league titles and five UEFA Champions League trophies, among others.

Cristiano Ronaldo vs Lionel Messi stats comparison

When it comes to stats, both Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi are neck to neck on most metrics. Ronaldo has scored an overall 701 club goals in comparison to Messi's 695. When it comes to assists, Ronaldo has 201 in comparison to Messi's 296. When international goals are taken into consideration, Ronaldo has 118 to his name while Messi has 98 to his name. It is pertinent to note though that Messi is two years younger than Ronaldo and could close the gap further in the coming years.