Who has more career goals, Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo?
Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo (not pictured) are locked in a race to the 1,000 goal mark. | Photo Credit: AP
Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo (not pictured) are locked in a race to the 1,000 goal mark. | Photo Credit: AP
Lionel Messi has had a great 2026 Major League Soccer season for Inter Miami, scoring 25 goals in just 27 matches as well as providing 14 assists.
The Argentine is currently top of the goalscorers’ tally in the MLS (five ahead of Petar Musa) and tied for the top assister as well. With just four games left in the regular season, his form means he is on course to take both honours ahead of the pivotal postseason.
Since joining Inter Miami in 2023, he has continued his goalscoring prowess, scoring 75 goals in just 80 MLS matches.
This takes his total club career goals to 810 goals in a combined 973 games for Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain and Inter Miami. He has also scored 126 goals in 208 games for his national team. His career total now stands at 936 goals in 1180 games.
His long-term rival Cristiano Ronaldo’s 2026 Saudi Pro League season started only in August, and he has already scored five goals in nine games in all competitions for his team, Al Nassr.
Ronaldo moved to the Saudi league at the end of 2022 and has sustained his scoring form for Al Nassr. He has scored 128 goals in 151 games in all competitions for the Saudi team.
ALSO READ: Messi scores twice in four minutes as Inter Miami beats Atlanta United in MLS
In his long career, starting in 2002, he has scored 835 club goals in 1106 games for Sporting CP, Manchester United, Real Madrid, Juventus and Al Nassr. Ronaldo has also scored 146 goals in 234 games for the Portuguese national team, taking his career total to 981 goals in 1340 games.
Ronaldo is just 19 goals away from reaching the 1,000-goal mark, while Messi is 64 goals away from reaching that mark. The Argentinian is 45 goals behind the Portuguese when it comes to total goals scored however, Messi has played 180 fewer games.
With both players still continuing their scoring form and not looking like they will slow down, it is likely that they will score many more goals.
Data taken from Transfermarkt
Published on Oct 18, 2026
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