What are the European records that Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have not broken yet? These are the few records that have escaped their clutches so far.
Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have dominated the world of football like no other in the last 15 years. It seems that the duo break records every single season as they chase both team and individual glory year after year. People have now begun to wonder what are the European records that Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have not broken yet
Also read: Watch Oscar Plano’s look of despair after being nutmegged by Lionel Messi
Messi and Ronaldo seem to share multiple football records between them. However, there are still a few records that the dynamic duo are yet to get their hands on. With the pair in the twilight of their careers, let us look to find the answer to the question; What are the European records that Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have not broken yet and can they break them before calling it a day?
UEFA competition appearances
This record belongs to Cristiano Ronaldo’s former teammate Iker Casillas. The former Real Madrid captain and keeper has made 188 appearances in all UEFA club competitions including the qualifiers. In Europe’s Elite contest, Casillas has made 181 appearances.
Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are at considerable distance. The Barcelona superstar has made 141 appearances so far while Ronaldo, who is two years older, has made 173 appearances. Ronaldo is joint third at the moment and will become the joint second when he turns out for Juventus in their next Champions League match. However, it will take at least another season before he can catch up with Iker Casillas.
Lionel Messi on the other hand will require at least 4 more seasons to overtake Casillas. And even then, it will require Barcelona to make deep runs in the competition. This is one record that is likely to stay away from the two for at least a little while.
Success with different sides
Lionel Messi’s commitment to Barcelona means that Lionel Messi will never be in the running for Clarence Seedorf’s record. The former Dutch midfielder is considered one of the most successful players in UEFA Champions League history.
Clarence Seedorf is the first, and currently the only, player to have won the Champions League with three clubs. He first won it with Ajax, in 1995, once with Real Madrid, in 1998 and twice with Milan, in 2003 and 2007.
Cristiano Ronaldo has won the Champions League with Manchester United and Real Madrid. By joining Juventus, he has given himself the chance to replicate Seedorf’s record. However, as far as scoring for the most sides goes, Zlatan Inrahimovic’s record of scoring for 6 teams in the UEFA Champions League looks likely to stand the test of time.
With both Messi and Ronaldo in the last stages of their career and both clubs having explicitly said that they would desire the superstars to retire in their current clubs, this is one record they may never achieve.
Fastest goal
Roy Makaay scored the fastest goal in Champions League history when he found the back of the net with his first touch in the match between Bayern Munich and Real Madrid back in 2007. The Bayern Munich striker’s goal was clocked at 10.12 seconds.
The 2005 Champions League final, dubbed the miracle in Istanbul, is remembered by many for Liverpool’s heroic comeback. However, Paolo Maldini’s opening strike in 53 seconds is another notable event from the match.
That goal would go on to become the fastest UEFA Champions League final goal and still stands 14 years later. Neither Cristiano or Messi have come close to either of the two records in all their appearances so far.
Ronaldo’s fastest goal in a Champions League match came in the 4th minute while Messi has knocked one in the 3rd minute twice. Their numbers in finals is even worse. Messi has scored two goals in finals while Ronaldo has 4. All 6 of these goals have however, come in the second half of the match.
Hattricks
Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi are the highest and second highest goal scorers in the Champions league. Ronaldo has 127 to his name while Messi has 113. They are the only two players to have broken the 100-goal barrier.
Messi and Ronaldo also share the highest number of hattricks in Europe’s elite competition with 8 each. Ronaldo’s hattrick in the match vs Atletico Madrid last season helped him equal Messi’s tally while also making him the oldest to achieve the feat.
However, Bafétimbi Gomis’ 8-minute hattrick against Dinamo Zagreb in 2011 is a record that eludes them. Lionel Messi’s 22nd minute hattrick against Arsenal remains his fastest. Ronaldo came close with his 12-minute hattrick against Malmo in 2015. Unfortunately, it was still 4 minutes too slow.
Goals in finals
Lionel Messi has only 2 goals in Champions League finals and has never scored more than once in a final. Ronaldo has four to his name but the most me has scored in a single final is two with a single goal on two other occasions. This is well below the records registered in European Finals.
Alfredo Di Stefano and Ferenc Puskas, both of whom played for Real Madrid, have scored 7 goals in European Cup finals. Di Stefano scored in 5 finals continuously from 1956 to 1960 while Puskas holds the record for the most goals in a single final; 4.
Most goals in a single season
Radamal Falcao holds the record for the most goals in a single season of European club competition. Falcao scored 18 goals for Porto in the 2010/11 season. 17 of those goals came in the tournament while one came in the qualifiers.
Cristiano Ronaldo came incredibly close to the record when he struck 17 times in 2013/14. Lionel Messi on the other hand, has never scored more than 14 times in a season. He managed the tally back in 2011/14.
Goals in most UEFA Champions League seasons
Manchester United’s Ryan Giggs holds the record for the goals in most UEFA Champions league seasons. The winger found the back of the net at least once in 16 separate seasons. This record is however, very close to be broken and the duo could have the record to their name by 2020/21.
Both Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have scored at least once in 15 seasons each. Lionel Messi has in fact scored in 15th successive UEFA Champions League campaign (group stage to final) this season to break Raúl’s record for goals in the most successive UEFA Champions League seasons.
Consistent goal scoring
Ruud Van Nistelrooy once scored in 9 consecutive UEFA Champions League games back with Manchester United in 2002/03. However, Cristiano Ronaldo overtook his former teammate by scoring in 10 matches in 2017/18 with Real Madrid.
Despite boasting of such an impressive track record in the Champions League, Ronaldo is no match for Gerd Muller when it comes to Best Goals per game average. Muller has an average of 0.97 goals in the European Cup and an average of 0.87 in UEFA Club competitions.
Cristiano Ronaldo has an average of 0.76 goals per game in UEFA Champions League matches. It is slightly lesser in all UEFA Club competitions at 0.75 goals per game. Lionel Messi’s consistency is slightly better than Ronaldo’s.
Messi has an average of 0.82 goals per game in both the Champions League and UEFA Club competitions. However, in order to match Gerd Muller, Messi will have to score a hattrick in his next 10 matches while Ronaldo will have to do the same in 18 matches.
Oldest goalscorer
The Oldest Player to have scored a goal in a European Competition is Manfred Burgsmüller (38 years 293 days) in 1998. Francesco Totti at 38 years and 59 days is the oldest in the Champions League while Paolo Maldini at 36 years and 333 days is the oldest goal scorer in a Champions League final.
If Ronaldo is to break either or all 3 of these records, he will have to play at least till the 2013/24 season and score a goal after November 22nd. Messi on the other hand, has to play at least till 13th April 2026. Maldini’s record is a little tricky. Not only would the players have to find the back of the net, but they would also have to ensure that their teams play in the UEFA Champions League finals.
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