Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are two of the most successful and celebrated soccer players of all time. Both players have won numerous accolades and have set a number of records over the course of their careers. It has always been difficult to compare the two players directly, as they have played in different leagues and teams – but both have consistently performed at the highest level for over a decade. Ultimately, the question of who is the better player was a matter of personal opinion and may depend on individual preferences and criteria.

However, after a thrilling World Cup where Lionel Messi was victorious, many are reconsidering the goat debate. Lionel Messi led Argentina to their third world cup in history where they beat France on pens. Messi finished the tournament with 7 goals and 3 assists, eventually winning the Golden ball (the MVP of the tournament). Ronaldo on the other hand only scored 1 goal and didn’t even start for Portugal when they were eliminated in the quarter-finals.  After reviewing the trophy case and the accomplishments of these two greats, people have started to review their stats too. Although Ronaldo has the most goals, Messi surpasses him in every other category. It is only a matter of time before Messi(794 goals) passes Ronaldo(819 goals) as he has played 200 less games than Ronaldo. Furthermore, after Ronaldo’s recent transfer to the Saudi Arabian team Al-Nassar, many people feel like his legacy is tarnished or tainted compared to Messi’s legacy. All in all, despite how people are entitled to their opinions on who the Goat is, the trophy case and stats prove that Messi is a superior soccer player to Ronaldo