Leo Messi vs. Cristiano Ronaldo: Who will reach the 1,000-goal mark first?
Messi has passed 900 career goals after a prolific 2026 World Cup, but Ronaldo’s march toward 1,000 still looks difficult to stop.
There has been plenty of talk about Cristiano Ronaldo hitting the 1,000-goal mark for several years now, but is there any chance Lionel Messi, his old foe, could actually reach that milestone before him?
The Argentina captain’s incredible goalscoring feats had looked to be on the wane, at club level at least, after his 2021 move to Paris Saint-Germain, where he scored only 32 goals in 75 appearances across two seasons. Reasonable numbers for most attacking players, but not Messi.
It should be pointed out that he also netted 18 times in just 14 matches for Argentina in 2022, which is much more like it.
Messi’s Inter Miami revival
In any case, the former Barcelona playmaker has rediscovered his club scoring touch in spectacular fashion since moving to Inter Miami in 2023. Messi has bagged 90 goals in 104 games for the Herons, while his ongoing heroics for Argentina have taken him beyond the 900-goal mark in official matches.
But what is the likelihood of Messi reaching 1,000 before Ronaldo?
The numbers suggest there isn’t much chance of it happening.
According to the Messi vs Ronaldo app, which helpfully lists just about every statistic you could hope to find about the Ballon d’Or-monopolizing duo, the Portuguese star has 976 official goals to his name, leaving him needing only 24 more to reach four figures.
Messi, meanwhile, trails Ronaldo by 57 goals on 919, eight of which came at the 2026 FIFA World Cup this summer. The Argentina captain therefore still needs 81 goals to hit 1,000.
Why Ronaldo still holds the edge
Given that Ronaldo has scored 50, 35 and 30 goals in his last three seasons for Al Nassr in the Saudi Pro League, it is reasonable to assume he will reach his objective before the end of the 2026-27 season, especially as he also looks set to continue turning out for Portugal.
Based on his recent scoring rate, Messi will likely need to play for at least another couple of years to score 81 more goals, which would mean extending his career until around age 41, Ronaldo’s current age. Although there appears to be no immediate sign of him retiring, the more pertinent question may be whether Messi keeps playing long enough to reach the 1,000-goal milestone.
Messi more lethal than Ronaldo
The race to 1,000 goals appears to have only one likely winner, although that should not come as much of a surprise. Ronaldo is almost two years and five months older than Messi, which has resulted in him playing 166 more career games to date, 1,330 compared to 1,164.
Although the former Real Madrid star is widely considered the ultimate goalscoring machine, Messi actually boasts the superior goals-per-minute ratio across his career, scoring once every 104 minutes compared to Ronaldo’s 111.
Get closer to the game! Whether you like your soccer of the European variety or that on this side of the pond, our AS USA app has it all. Dive into live coverage, expert insights, breaking news, exclusive videos, and more. Plus, stay updated on NFL, NBA and all other big sports stories as well as the latest in current affairs and entertainment. Download now for all-access coverage, right at your fingertips – anytime, anywhere.
And there’s more: check out our TikTok and Instagram reels for bite-sized visual takes on all the biggest soccer news and insights.