Lionel Messi is superior to Cristiano Ronaldo and it could be proved by breaking down the statistics.
There has been prolonged debate about the pick between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. There is no doubt that both have been at their scintillating best to bring the best out of each other. By doing so, both have gone onto becoming best players over the last decade and will go down in history books as one of the greats, if not the greatest.
However, when we break down the statistics over the last decade, Lionel Messi clearly edges his fierce rival Cristiano Ronaldo by some distance. Not only the goals counts but the overall performance have been brought into consideration to judge them.
According to the Average rating on Whoscored, Messi has won 8 of the last nine seasons and is currently leading this season, with only one draw between them in all these seasons put together.
2018/19 Season so far:
Lionel Messi: 8.5
Cristiano Ronaldo: 7.8
2017/18 Season:
Lionel Messi: 8.7
Cristiano Ronaldo: 7.9
2016/17 Season:
Lionel Messi: 8.5
Cristiano Ronaldo: 7.6
2015/16 Season:
Lionel Messi: 8.5
Cristiano Ronaldo: 8.0
2014/15 Season:
Lionel Messi: 8.8
Cristiano Ronaldo: 8.5
2013/14 Season:
Lionel Messi: 8.3
Cristiano Ronaldo: 8.3
2012/13 Season:
Lionel Messi: 8.8
Cristiano Ronaldo: 8.2
2011/12 Season:
Lionel Messi: 8.9
Cristiano Ronaldo: 8.3
2010/11 Season:
Lionel Messi: 8.8
Cristiano Ronaldo: 8.3
2009/10 Season:
Lionel Messi: 8.7
Cristiano Ronaldo: 8.5
Apart from this stat, Lionel Messi has won 228 man of the match awards compared to 135 won by Cristiano Ronaldo which proves the superiority of the Argentine International who has established himself as the top scorer in the La Liga and is the top scorer for Barcelona as well.
Their dominance has not stopped at the age of 31 and 34 respectively. Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are the top two top scorers in the top five leagues of European football. The Barcelona forward has found the back of the net 21 times, whilst the former Real Madrid’s number 7 has scored 19 times.
Even though there is a change in the adventure, it has not taken too long for Cristiano Ronaldo and Juventus who are considered as one of the favourites to lift the Champions League this term. The Old Lady are on course of lifting their seventh straight Serie A title.
On the other hand, Lionel Messi and Barcelona are starving to lift Europe’s most prestigious trophy for the first time in four years. The Blaugrana still have to do enough homework as they are only six points away from their rivals Real Madrid.
