Who is performing better in 2026?
The year 2026 might just be the last dance for the rivalry between Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, who are both near the end of their careers.
Which of the two era-defining icons is performing better during this calendar year?
Messi has continued to lift silverware after leaving European football back in 2023. Trophies haven’t been quite as forthcoming for Ronaldo since he joined Saudi Pro League outfit Al-Nassr, although he’s won the Saudi Pro League for the first time.
He continued to score goals, including two against Uzbekistan and his Croatia penalty, but was unable to stop Portugal losing in the World Cup Round of 16.
Messi and Ronaldo have been at every World Cup going back to the 2006 tournament in Germany.
Messi didn’t get started until February. The MLS schedule is more like the calendar year, meaning that he started 2026 with a well-earned rest after his talismanic role in Inter Miami’s 2025 MLS Cup triumph.
Inter Miami didn’t make an especially convincing start to the new season, though. Messi’s old pals Jordi Alba and Sergio Busquets retired at the end of last season, while Javier Mascherano left his post as manager amid question marks over making this new-look team work.
Notably, Messi didn’t register a single assist in his first 13 appearances of 2026. But he continues to score goals.
Recent weeks, though, have seen Messi look like his old self. He approached the World Cup in inspired form and took that momentum into the World Cup, scoring eight goals and providing four assists to get Argentina to another final.
Here’s a detailed breakdown of how Messi and Ronaldo’s stats compare in 2026 so far:
Lionel Messi
Games: 27
Goals: 23⭐
Assists: 11⭐
Goal contributions: 34 ⭐
Penalties: 1
Free-kicks: 3 ⭐
Minutes per goal: 101 ⭐
Minutes per goal or assist: 68.3 ⭐
Cristiano Ronaldo
Games: 28 ⭐
Goals: 19
Assists: 1
Goal contributions: 20
Penalties: 4 ⭐
Free-kicks: 0
Minutes per goal: 116.0
Minutes per goal or assist: 109.2
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TRY A QUIZ: The Big Lionel Messi vs Cristiano Ronaldo Quiz: The ultimate test of who has more goals, assists, trophies…
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