After more than twenty years at the top, Christiano Ronaldo And Lionel Messi remain elite figures in world football. They are still admired by millions of fans around the world and despite no longer playing for Europe’s biggest clubs, every match they play still attracts huge attention. That’s because both continue to perform at a high level and post remarkable scoring figures, something that was clearly seen in 2025.
On Tuesday, Cristiano played his last official match of the year Al Nassr‘s 2-2 draw against Al Ettifaq on matchday 11 of the Saudi Pro League. In that game, the Portuguese forward scored his team’s second goal by deflecting Joao Felix’s shot with his back.
During 2025, Ronaldo was Al Nassr’s top scorer in all official competitions. He scored 19 goals in the first half of the yearwhich corresponded to the decisive phase of the 2024-2025 season, including matches in the Saudi Pro League and the AFC Champions League Elite.
During the second half of the year, already in the 2025-2026 season, the 40-year-old forward did not slow down and added another fourteen goals between the Saudi Pro League and the Saudi Super Cup. That brought Cristiano Ronaldo’s club total with Al Nassr in 2025 was 33 goals.
Cristiano Ronaldo holding the UEFA Nations League trophy.
His performances with the Portugal national team should also be added. CR7 took part in five FIFA This year he played nine of Portugal’s ten games (he missed the last World Cup qualifier against Armenia due to suspension). Ronaldo scored eight goals for Portugal, which, combined with his 33 club goals, gives him a total of 41 goals in 2025.
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Lionel Messi ends 2025 at the top of the assist charts, ahead of Barcelona’s Lamine Yamal and Bayern’s Michael Olise
How many goals will Lionel Messi score in 2025?
Just as Al Nassr relied on Cristiano Ronaldo, InterMiami leaned heavily on Lionel Messi’s performances to achieve success this year. The Argentinian striker was the driving force behind the Herons’ 2025 Major League Football title, their flight to the League Cup final, and their historic qualification for the round of 16 at the FIFA Club World Cup.
Messi scored 43 goals with Inter Miami in national and international competitions in 2025. That total was supplemented by his performances with the Argentina national team, where his involvement was limited to five appearances in nine matches during World Cup qualifiers and friendlies. Messi scored three goals for Argentina and brought his own total for 2025 to 46 goals.
Who had the better 2025, Messi or Ronaldo?
From a goals perspective, both Lionel Messi’s 46 goals and Cristiano Ronaldo’s 41 represent remarkable figures for players in the latter stages of their careers. Throughout 2025, both showed that they still have the physical fitness and competitive level to stand out from much younger stars.
Messi’s five-goal lead over CR7 seems to give him the advantage in this comparison, especially considering he also scored 29 assists compared to Ronaldo’s four. When it comes to trophies, however, the two were evenly matched: Messi led Inter Miami to the MLS title, while Cristiano played a key role in helping Portugal to victory UEFA Nations League.
The striking balance between the achievements, statistics and achievements of Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi highlights how, even after so many years and now competing on different continents, they continue to push each other. Hopefully that momentum will continue into the first half of 2026, paving the way for their sixth FIFA World Cup.
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