For the better part of two decades, Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi dominated the beautiful game like nothing we have ever seen before. From their respective rises to the fore in the mid-2000s to 2025 where we find ourselves today, the pair of footballing greats have racked up the titles with regular aplomb. Between them, they have won a whopping 77 major trophies, as well as 13 Ballon d'Ors.
However, over the years and with their respective clubs, there are a certain few trophies that neither managed to win. Let's find out what they are exactly.
Cristiano Ronaldo
Quiet Start
Wherever the great CR7 has gone throughout his illustrious career, he has claimed silverware. And plenty of it. However, it wasn't always that way.
Back in 2002, when he burst onto the scene as a teenager with Sporting CP, the current Al-Nassr man certainly took the world by storm. But unfortunately for him, his stint with his boyhood club wasn't a trophy-laden one. The young sensation failed to help the Lisbon-based outfit to any major trophies that year, meaning that he has failed to win both the Liga Portugal and the Taça de Portugal.
He was, however, on the bench for the club's 5-1 victory against Leixoes in the Portuguese Super Cup.
The Ascent Begins
Ahead of his sophomore year as a professional, Ronaldo famously ripped Manchester United apart in a preseason friendly match, prompting Sir Alex Ferguson to sign that young star right there and then. The rest, as they say, is history.
Throughout his initial six-year stint with the club, CR7 won pretty much all there was to win. The only prize he would miss out on was the UEFA Super Cup, with United suffering a 2-1 defeat at the hands of Zenit Saint-Petersburg. But Ronaldo would go on to claim that prize later in his career.
His second stint with the club was less successful, and it saw him compete in the Europa League for the first time. Unfortunately, Ronaldo - even though he left midway through the season - was unable to help United claim the title. That's the only crown he didn't win during his time in England.
The Trophies Flow
After Manchester United, Ronaldo moved to Real Madrid for a then world record €94m. Throughout his time at the Bernabeu, he claimed every honor available numerous times over, including that pesky UEFA Super Cup. After securing his legacy as the club's greatest-ever player, CR7 made a shock move to Juventus, and he again won all three trophies on offer.
After an 18-month return to Manchester United, he then moved on to Al Nassr in December 2022, and he remains in Saudi Arabia today. But unfortunately for his trophy cabinet, he has claimed just one prize so far. As such, the Saudi Pro League title, the Asian Champions League, and the Saudi King Cup are all trophies that Ronny has never won.
International Stage
Ronaldo was made to wait for his first trophy with his beloved Portugal, but 13 years after his debut, his crowning moment finally came at Euro 2016. Three years later, he claimed the inaugural UEFA Nations League as well.
But the FIFA World Cup remains elusive, and online sports betting sites can't see Ronaldo ever lifting the one prize he craves so dearly. The latest sports betting odds make Portugal a +1500 outsider to win the 2026 edition of the tournament next summer. Ronaldo will be 41 by the time that rolls around, and it's do or die if he wishes to immortalize his name.
Lionel Messi
Immediate Glory
While Ronaldo struggled with boyhood club Sporting CP, Lionel Messi certainly didn't with Barcelona. In his first season as a professional, he won La Liga, before adding the Champions League the following campaign while still a teenager. Fast forward to his shocking departure from Camp Nou in 2021, and the Argentinian genius had racked up a mighty 34 trophies, winning everything available numerous times. In fact, under Pep Guardiola in 2009, he won every single trophy available to him in a single calendar year.
Post-Barcelona
Much was expected of Messi when he left Barcelona for Paris Saint-Germain on a free transfer in the summer of 2021, especially because he was linking up with old strike partner Neymar and superstar Kylian Mbappe. Unfortunately, though, they couldn't hit the heights expected of them. Messi twice won Ligue 1 as well as the Trophee des Champions, but he was never able to claim the Coupe de France.
After a toxic exit from the French capital, Messi headed to Inter Miami and immediately led them to the Leagues Cup just months into his stint with the club. Last season, he led them to the Supporters' Shield, but the MLS Cup is still a prize he has never claimed. The same can be said of both the CONCACAF Champions League and the US Open Cup.
Internationally, Messi has won everything possible. The crowning moment came in 2022, when he finally climbed his final peak and won the World Cup at the fifth time of asking, cementing his legacy as the greatest player that has ever lived in the process.