Lionel Messi vs Cristiano Ronaldo: Comparing goals, assists & rating for 2021/22 season

Football fans have been witnessing the rivalry between the Portuguese legend Cristiano Ronaldo and the Argentine superstar Lionel Messi on the field for over 15 long years now. Both players share a total of 12 Balon d’Or awards between them and have given their fans many memorable moments to remember. Both players made big moves in their careers during the summer transfer window as Ronaldo returned to Manchester United for his second spell at Old Trafford, while Messi exited Barcelona for the first time in over 21 years and joined Paris Saint-Germain. 

Cristiano Ronaldo's notable impact on Manchester United

Ronaldo has been in brilliant form after joining back the Red Devils as he is currently the highest goal scorer for the team across all competitions. He started his second stint at the United camp by scoring a double on his debut, however, the team has failed to perform to the expectation as they currently sit sixth in the Premier League 2021-22 points table. They exited the UEFA Champions League 2021-22 after losing to Atletico Madrid, with an aggregate of 1-2 goals in the Round of 16. 

Lionel Messi's lack of goals for PSG

On the other hand, Messi has found it difficult to create the impact which was expected of him at PSG. The lack of goals from Messi hasn’t helped the squad, as they exited the Champions League after losing to Real Madrid with an aggregate of 3-2 goals in the Round of 16. However, he struck form right in time and helped the team pick up the Ligue 1 2021-22 title. Having said that, here’s the comparison of goals and assists by both Ronaldo and Messi in the 2021-22 season.

Cristiano Ronaldo's stats in Premier League 2021-22 for Manchester United

Matches Played: 28

Goals: 17

Assists: 3

Minutes per goal: 134

Cristiano Ronaldo's stats for Manchester United in all competitions

Matches Played: 37

Goals: 23

Assists: 3

Minutes per goal: 132

Lionel Messi’s stats in Ligue 1 2021-22 for PSG

Matches Played: 22

Goals: 4

Assists: 13

Minutes per goal: 448

Lionel Messi’s stats for PSG in all competitions

Matches Played: 30

Goals: 9

Assists: 13

Minutes per goal: 279

(Image: AP)