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#2 Better stats with his national team as compared to Messi
Ronaldo and Messi are now at the top of almost all goalscoring metrics in club football. They've shared the coveted European Golden Shoe since the turn of the century and just as they've been the stars for their clubs, they have also been indispensable for their national teams.
Both prolific forwards are the all-time leading top scorers for their respective national sides, as one would expect, but of the two it is Ronaldo who became only the second player ever to reach a century of goals for his nation last year.
The five-time Ballon d'Or winner leads Messi 102-71 in international goals, having posted double-digit returns in a year four times in his career as compared to Messi, who could only achieve the feat once in 2012.
Interestingly, the player reached his peak with the Portugal last year, in which he was very lethal in front of the goal-scoring 14 goals. He has scored against a total of 41 different sides in international fixtures, including the likes of Argentina, Belgium, Croatia, Netherlands and Spain.
Also See: Top 10 quotes on Lionel Messi
#1 Ronaldo added a major trophy with Portugal to his cabinet, while Messi failed even after reaching three finals with Argentina
Ever since Ronaldo and Messi reached the pinnacle of world football, the absence of a trophy with their national team was the only things missing from the glittering careers.
Though a medal at the FIFA World Cup seems difficult now, as Ronaldo and Messi will be 37 and 35 respectively by the 2022 edition in Qatar, Ronaldo has won the next best thing in the European Championship with Portugal in 2016.
It was the first major title in the Iberian nation's history, and he followed up his EURO 2016 success at yet another UEFA competition in the Nations League, winning the maiden edition of the competition with A Seleção.
Messi had been unfortunate to have never lifted a trophy with his nation, given that he made it to three major international finals in consecutive years between 2014 and 2016.
We know the significance an international title holds for a player, so for Ronaldo to have finally added success in the international arena on top of the accolades with Manchester United, Real Madrid, and Juventus makes for a strong case for the 35-year-old superstar to be considered the best of the century.
We think the lack of success with his nation will be one of the major reasons why Messi may not be voted as the player of the century on December 28th.
Also See: Top 10 quotes on Cristiano Ronaldo
