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The Football World is divided into two kinds of people, the Lionel Messi fans and the Cristiano Ronaldo fans. No matter how diplomatic a football fan might be, he or she will most definitely have chosen a side among these two. The number of debates that these two superstars have generated is uncountable and their personal rivalry has elevated the rivalries between their teams.
Also Read: 6 Guinness World Records held by Lionel Messi that you didn't know about
They have also pushed each other to achieve greater things every season, and they have bettered themselves by competing with each other. The playing style of the two players are quite different. Whereas Ronaldo is all about flair, power and goal scoring, Messi oozes dribbles, artistry and magic. However, there's a lot in common in between these two than meets the eye.
Also Read: 6 Guinness World Records held by Cristiano Ronaldo you didn't know about
For starters, both are fabulous goal scorers who can only be compared with each other. Both started from humble beginnings and reached the pinnacle of success and both have been instrumental in making the beautiful game even more popular.
As such, it is only fitting that Messi and Ronaldo share a few records between them, the most famous of which would be that both have 5 Ballon d'Ors to their name. Today, we take a look at 5 lesser known records that Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo share with each other.
#5 No Goals scored in Knock Out Stages of FIFA World Cup
This is not exactly a record, but a dark spot in their careers that both would like to erase from their memories in a hurry. For all the success in the World, both Ronaldo and Messi have not experienced too much success at the World Cups. While Messi has reached the finals of the tournament once, ending up on the losing side against Germany, the highest Ronaldo has gone is the Semi-Finals. However, neither of them have scored in the knock out stages of the tournament.
Cristiano Ronaldo has scored 7 goals in the FIFA World Cup, while Lionel Messi has scored 6, but all of their goals have been in the group stages. It is an astonishing record, given the fact that they have shattered goal scoring records season after season for their clubs in their career so far. However, the fact that they share this among themselves show that even with all their differences, these two do have quite a lot in common.
#4 Most goals in FIFA Club World Cup Finals
Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have both scored 4 goals in FIFA Club World Cup Finals, which is the most by any player till date. While the Portuguese has 4 goals in 4 FIFA Club World Cup final appearances, the Argentinean has scored 4 goals in 3 appearances.
Ronaldo first appeared in the 2008 FIFA Club World Cup Final, as a Manchester United player, but could not find the back of the net. His next appearance in the final was in 2014 as a part of the Real Madrid team, but the Portuguese failed to score in the entire tournament then. However, he made up for those misses in the 2016 final, scoring a fantastic hat-trick against Japanese side Kashima Antlers. In the 2017 FIFA Club World Cup Final last season, Ronaldo scored the only goal of the game, against Brazilian side Gremio.
Messi's first appearance in the FIFA Club World Cup final was in 2009, where he scored an Extra Time winner in the 110th minute against Estudiantes. Two years later, the Argentinean scored a brace against Brazilian club Santos, in the 2011 Final. In the 2015 final, Messi scored again, against Argentinean giants River Plate.
#3 Goals scored in different FIFA Club World Cups
Both Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have the distinction of scoring goals in 3 different FIFA Club World Cups, the only players to do so till now. While the Portuguese scored in 2008, 2016 and 2017 tournaments, the Argentinean scored in the 2009, 2011 and 2015 FIFA Club World Cups. Ronaldo also appeared in the 2014 FIFA Club World Cup, but did not find the back of the net.
Messi scored a total of 5 goals in FIFA Club World Cup, two in 2009, two in 2011 and one in 2015. Ronaldo has 7 goals in the tournament, one in 2008, four in 2016 and two in 2017. However, none of them will be competing this year. Real Madrid will be a part of the tournament this year too, but Ronaldo has shifted base to Turin in the summer and as such will play no part in their campaign.
As such, both Superstars will be vying to win the Champions League this season and will be aiming to appear in the FIFA Club World Cup again next year. They both have a record to break after all.
#2 Most FIFPro World XI appearances
The Fédération Internationale des Associations de Footballeurs Professionnels or FIFPro is an organization that represents professional footballers from all over the world. Since 2005, the organization has been announcing a list of 11 exceptional footballers, including the FIFA World Player of the year, who make up their World XI every year and it has been called the FIFPro World XI.
Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi both appeared the list for the first time in 2007, and have appeared in every FIFPro World XI since, a record 12 times. No other player has come close to them in the history of the selections. Andres Iniesta and Sergio Ramos have both appeared 9 times, Dani Alves has featured 8 times and Xavi was included 5 times in the list.
For all the animosity among the fans of these players, the whole world acknowledges that a World XI without these two is incomplete and this is another record that is shared between the two incredible players.
#1 Only players in La Liga history to score more than 300 goals
When Cristiano Ronaldo joined Real Madrid in 2009, Lionel Messi was already on the rise in La Liga. The Portuguese, a phenomenal goal scorer himself, soon made matters interesting as the Real Madrid vs Barcelona debate was spiced up by the Ronaldo vs Messi debate. These two started their own internal battle almost immediately, with Messi ending the 2009/10 season as the top scorer in the La Liga, with 34 goals from 35 games.
However, Ronaldo responded next year, taking the top scorer title by virtue of 40 goals in 34 games, declaring war that would rage in the La Liga for almost a decade. Messi ended the next two seasons as top scorer, scoring a record 50 goals and 46 goals respectively. But Ronaldo was not done yet. He secured top spot in 2013/14 season, scoring 31 goals and then again in the following season, scoring 48 goals in the league.
Suarez gave them a brief respite in the 2015/16 season, but Messi won the next two, including last season, scoring 34 goals. But even in the battle, there is a unique record that binds these two together. Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi are the only two players in the history of La Liga to score more than 300 goals. The Portuguese has scored 311 times in 292 appearances, while Messi has 390 goals from 427 appearances so far. Looks like there's much more common between these two than meets the eye, right?
What are the other records that should have been included in the list? Let us know in the comments.
