Messi vs Ronaldo in Spain Totals whilst Ronaldo was at Real Madrid (2009/10 - 2017/18)

Messi vs Ronaldo when they played together in Spain

To understand why the Messi vs Ronaldo rivalry is so huge, you just need to take one look at their head to head stats during the time Ronaldo played for Real Madrid in Spain. In all club competitions, Messi scored a goal every 85 minutes, and Ronaldo scored a goal every 84 minutes.

For two players to have such a similar crazy scoring rate over a 9 year period is unbelievable. When you also consider that they were playing for fierce rivals in the same league, it's clear to see why the Lionel Messi vs Cristiano Ronaldo debate has transcended football.

So who actually scored more? Lionel Messi scored 472 goals in 476 games in all club competitions from 2009/10 to 2017/18, whereas Cristiano Ronaldo scored 450 goals in 438 games in all club competitions during this period when he played for Real Madrid. So Messi scored 22 more goals than Ronaldo, but Ronaldo made 38 fewer appearances than Messi.

However, as mentioned previously, when you factor in minutes played their scoring ratios are almost identical.

Messi and Ronaldo La Liga stats when they played together in Spain

In La Liga, Messi scored 329 goals in just 309 appearances, and Ronaldo scored 311 goals in 292 appearances. These kind of numbers - scoring more than a goal per game over such a long period of time - represent a phenomenal output that we very rarely see in this sport.

Again, the La Liga scoring ratios are extremely similar, with Messi scoring a goal every 79 minutes during this period, and Ronaldo scoring in La Liga every 81 minutes.

When we factor in assists, there's slightly more daylight between the two. Messi made 122 La Liga assists and Ronaldo made 87 assists in the league. When combined with goals, this means Messi made a direct goal contribution every 58 minutes in La Liga from 2009/10 - 2017/18, whereas Cristiano Ronaldo made a goal contribution every 63 minutes in La Liga during this period.

Let's take a look at some key La Liga stats from Messi and Ronaldo's time together in Spain:

Messi and Ronaldo Champions League stats when they played together in Spain

Cristiano Ronaldo's Champions League career at Real Madrid is nothing short of phenomenal, with 4 Champions League trophies in his 9 seasons at the club, with Messi winning 2 during this timespan. He scored an outrageous 105 goals in 101 Champions League games for Real Madrid, whilst Messi scored 83 goals in 92 Champions League games during this same period.

If we look at minutes per goal, thing look a little closer, but Ronaldo still has a clear edge in terms of goalscoring; he scored a Champions League goal every 85.9 minutes for Real Madrid, whereas Messi scored a Champions League goal every 94.5 minutes for Barcelona during this time period.

Ronaldo also has the edge in assists, providing 27 assists in the UCL from 09/10-17/18, with Messi providing 20 assists.

Interestingly though, if we broaden the analysis to look at overall play, things look much rosier for Leo Messi. In fewer games, he made 190 key passes to Ronaldo's 173, he made a staggering 421 successful dribbles to Ronaldo's 196, and he was given the WhoScored Man of the Match in 49 out of 83 games, with Ronaldo being the best rated player in 34 out of 101 games. On a similar note, Messi's average match rating in the Champions League from 09/10-17/18 was an impressive 8.42, with Ronaldo's average rating slightly lower on 8.12.

Here are some key Champions League stats for Messi and Ronaldo from 2009/10 to 2017/18: