The debate is finally over because Lionel Messi now has a major international trophy

Over the years, the football world has been divided into two parts. On one side, there is Lionel Messi and on the alternative side, there is Cristiano Ronaldo. From legendary players to managers, everybody has picked their favourite. However, until a few days ago; Cristiano Ronaldo was hailed as a more proficient player than Lionel Messi because the former secured the Euro Cup in 2016. On the contrary, Messi and Argentina lost four finals because of which, several football enthusiasts booed the little maestro. However, in 2021, Lionel Messi finally has an international trophy because Argentina became the Copa America 2021 champions by defeating Brazil.

If the title of the best player is handed out by the fans and football followers based on the number of international trophies won by a player, then in 2021, the debate is over. By applying the same logic, Lionel Messi is the best player ever because the man has won more international trophies than Cristiano Ronaldo. In the succeeding paragraphs, we have listed the international accolades won by the two players.

International titles- When it comes to international titles, Lionel Messi has more accolades than Ronaldo. Messi has an Olympic gold medal with Argentina and the FIFA U-20 World Cup. Not to forget, he also won the San Juan Cup and Superclasico Cup with Argentina. Recently, he picked up the Copa America trophy as well.

Compared to Lionel Messi, Ronaldo only has a Nations League trophy and a Euro Cup. In terms of goals, Ronaldo is ahead with 109 whereas Messi has scored 76 goals so far.

Individual awards- Lionel Messi has more individual titles (37) such as six Ballon d’Or, one Best FIFA Men’s Player of the Year award, six European Golden Shoe, one World Cup Golden Ball, three UEFA Player of the Year, 14 FIFPRO World XI and six Player of the Year (league) awards. Compared to Messi, Ronaldo has only 33 individual titles.

Club goals and assists- Ronaldo has more clubs goals than Messi and the Portuguese star have played in three leagues which is meritorious. However, Ronaldo is significantly behind in assist numbers. Ronaldo has 674 goals and 139 assists whereas Messi has 672 goals and 226 assists. In short, Messi is a more complete player than Ronaldo.

Last but not least, Ronaldo has certainly performed better in the Champions League and World Cup. However, in overall trophy and individual title wins, Lionel Messi is easily ahead of Cristiano Ronaldo.