Comparing Messi’s Guinness World Records to Cristiano Ronaldo’s: Who Has More?

• Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi have dominated the football landscape setting and breaking records
• Both stars have a combined 21 records to their name
• In the head-to-head records between them, there is just one record that sets them apart

The football world is still coming to terms with the conclusion of the Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo era, a period marked by their unmatched supremacy and lasting influence on the game.

Their departure has left fans longing for more as Ronaldo embarks on his journey with Al-Nassr in Saudi Arabia, while Messi sets foot on the MLS stage with Inter Miami.

The void they leave behind is deeply felt, and the desire to witness their brilliance remains fervent among their dedicated followers.

Throughout their illustrious careers spanning over two decades, Messi and Ronaldo have amassed an astonishing collection of Guinness World Records, a testament to their extraordinary achievements. These records stand as a validation of their unparalleled excellence and serve as a reminder of their enduring legacy in the sport.

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Sports Brief presents a captivating comparison between the two football legends, examining who boasts a greater number of records recognized by Guinness World Records:

Cristiano Ronaldo's Records

1. Top international goal-scorer of all time: Ronaldo has a staggering 123 goals in 200 appearances for Portugal, with Iran’s Ali Daei in a distant second position with 109 strikes, per GOAL.
2. Most Champions League goals: Dubbed Mr Champions League, Ronaldo is the undisputed king of Europe's premier club competition, winning the title on five occasions, one more than Lionel Messi.
3. Most Goals in a UEFA European Club competition season: The Al-Nassr captain notched 17 strikes in Real Madrid’s Champions League-winning campaign in 2013/14. However, he shares this record with Radamel Falcao, who equalled the feat during the 2010/11 FC Porto Europa League campaign.
4. Top scorer across ALL UEFA club competitions: CR7 also shares a unique record to his name in UEFA competitions, which includes the Champions League, UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup, Europa League, UEFA Intertoto Cup, UEFA Super Cup, and the Intercontinental Cup.
5. The oldest player to score a World Cup hat trick: Ronaldo's awe-inspiring 2018 World Cup performance against Spain, which produced a scintillating hat trick including a last-gasp freekick, makes him the oldest player to score a hat trick at the Mundial, aged 33 years and 130 days.
6. Consecutive Champions League goal-scoring record: Ronaldo's stranglehold in the Champions League is unmatched. Between the 2016/17 and 2017/18 Champions League campaigns, he scored in 11 straight UEFA Champions League games.
7. Most goals scored in the UEFA European Championships: The record for the most goals in Europe's flagship national team competition is also in the name of Ronaldo, with 14 goals, five ahead of French legend Michel Platini.
8. Most successful penalty-taker in La Liga: Perhaps that's the reason some fans refer to the Portuguese superstar as "Penaldo". He took 72 penalties and scored 61 to become the player with the most penalty goals in La Liga.
9. Most followed athlete on Instagram: Cristiano Ronaldo has the most followers on the photo-sharing App, Instagram with 592 million followers and counting.
10. Most viewed Wikipedia page for an athlete: For many of us, Wikipedia serves as the go-to source of information, and it comes as no surprise that the athlete with the highest number of page views is none other than CR7, amassing a staggering 112,000,000 views.
11. Most FIFA World Cup tournament goals scored by a player: During the 2022 World Cup, Ronaldo's exceptional performance added yet another milestone to his illustrious career as he became the first player in history to score in five different World Cups.

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Lionel Messi's Records

1. Most goals in a single UEFA Champions League match: This is one record Lionel Messi holds ahead of his greatest foe in the UCL. Messi holds the record for the most goals in a game with five against Bayer Leverkusen. He shares the record with Luiz Adriano and Erling Haaland, The Analyst reports.
2. Most Liked Instagram Post: Ronaldo might have the most followers on Instagram, but Messi holds the record of the most Liked Instagram Post with a picture of him holding the World Cup. He received over 75 million likes and counting for his picture.
3. Most goals in a calendar year: The most standout of Messi's records. He scored an eyewatering 91 goals in 2012. Earlier, Germany’s Gerd Muller scored 85 goals in 1972.
4. Most Ballon d’Or and European Golden Shoe victories: Messi has seven Ballon d'Ors to his name and could add stretch his record later this year at the 2023 Gala. In addition, the ex-PSG star has won six European Golden Shoe awards to his name.
5. Most FIFA World Cup matches played in by a player: Having reached the final of the 2022 World Cup, Messi's participation in 26 matches in the tournament stands as the highest number ever achieved by a single player.
6. Most FIFA World Cup appearances as captain: With a remarkable tally of 19 caps, Messi holds the record for the most World Cup appearances as a captain.
7. Most Man of the Match awards won at the FIFA World Cup: Through his exceptional displays in the five World Cups he has featured in, Messi earned an impressive total of 11 Man of the Match awards.
8. Most FIFA World Cup tournament assists by a player: The newly-signed Inter Miami star, Messi, assisted in five different World Cups.
9. Most appearances for a foreigner and most goals scored in La Liga: During his tenure at Barcelona spanning from 2004 to 2021, Messi played 520 La Liga matches. With a high frequency of appearances, it comes as no surprise that he also boasts an impressive goal-scoring record of 474 goals.
10. Most appearances in FIFA World Cup tournaments by a player: Messi and Ronaldo jointly hold the record for the most appearances by a player in the World Cup, with both superstars having participated in the prestigious tournament five times.