Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have one of the most documented and talked about rivalries in all of sports.
The former FC Barcelona and Real Madrid superstars were at their peak during their time together in La Liga, with Messi winning eight Ballon d’Or trophies as Ronaldo managed just five in what was an incredible rivalry between the two forwards.
Although the debate has generally swung in Messi’s favor after his 2022 FIFA World Cup win, many still want argue that Ronaldo would still be better than the Inter Miami attacker if they became rivals in the same league once again.
And former Manchester United striker Louis Saha has proposed just that if Ronaldo moved to MLS to compete with Ronaldo.
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Saha predicts Ronaldo to score than Messi if he played in MLS
Speaking to Complete Sports, the former France international backed his former United teammate to outscore Messi in MLS if Ronaldo makes the move to America, with the striker still finding regular success up-front with both Portugal and Al-Nassr.
Saha said when asked if Ronaldo would be better than Messi in MLS: “Cristiano Ronaldo would’ve scored more goals in MLS than Lionel Messi has, because Messi scored 20 with so many quality players around him.
“As I’ve said before, I don’t think that Ronaldo needs to have the same quality around him to score as many goals, when he scores 30 goals in a season that isn’t enough for him, wherever he is playing.
“He wouldn’t be happy with 20 goals in the league and we saw last year that he scored 35 goals in the league and 50 in all competitions. Messi is a different player now, he’s not out there to break records and score more goals, he is relaxed on the pitch. Ronaldo is still looking to break records.”
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How have Messi and Ronaldo compared in 2024?
Even at 37-years-old and 39-years-old respectively, Messi and Ronaldo are still putting up numbers that most top players would kill to achieve in just a single season at the highest level in soccer.
| Lionel Messi – Inter Miami and Argentina | Cristiano Ronaldo – Al-Nassr and Portugal | |
| Games played | 36 | 51 |
| Goals | 29 | 43 |
| Assists | 18 | 7 |
| Minutes per goal contribution | 62 minutes | 89 minutes |
Yet even after spending a good chunk of 2024 out on the treatment table and playing fewer games, Messi comes out on top against Ronaldo when it comes to minutes per goal contribution for both club and country.
Indeed, the Messi and Ronaldo debate will rage on well after the two have both retired, yet even in the latter stages of their careers, the Inter Miami no. 10 still has a slight edge over his Portuguese counterpart.