Comparing Ronaldo and Messi's Statistics in EA Sports 'FC 24'

The eternal debate between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo will persist, even after they departed Europe for Inter Miami and Al-Nassr, respectively.

For years, the two veterans have secured some of the highest overall ratings in the FIFA game series, recently rebranded as EA Sports FC.

In this year's edition, the diminutive Argentine emerges victorious over the Portuguese by a wide margin.

Messi continues to showcase his prowess in the United States, while Ronaldo seems to operate somewhat under the radar in the Middle East.

Sports Brief has analysed their attributes, per GiveMeSport, providing a detailed comparison of the two legendary footballers to determine which card will offer a more favourable gaming experience when the game is launched at the end of September.

Physicality - Ronaldo (74) > Messi (64)

Ronaldo has been renowned throughout his career for his exceptional athleticism, while Messi's relatively small stature has never been a defining feature of his gameplay.

The Al-Nassr star outperforms the Inter Miami star in all four subcategories, with his jumping ability standing out as the most notable.

In the Saudi Pro League, Ronaldo boasts an impressive 93 rating for his jumping, a fact that doesn't come as a surprise considering the numerous occasions where he has leapt above defenders to reach the ball first.

However, the strength ratings might prompt some debates, as the Portuguese veteran only holds an eight-point advantage over Messi in this aspect.

Dribbling - Messi (94) > Ronaldo (79)

This outcome heavily favours Messi, which was to be expected. Dribbling has become second nature to the seven-time Ballon d'Or winner and it is safe to say he has captivated audiences with this precise aspect of his game.

The most significant gap exists in their balance ratings, with Messi achieving a high score of 95, while Ronaldo's 61 is a statistic best stored away in the archives, never to be revisited.

While it was anticipated dribbling would lean in the Argentine's favour, it underscores the impact of the Portuguese's age on his dribbling statistics, considering he used to bewilder defenders with an array of unpredictable moves.

Defending - Ronaldo (34) > Messi (33)

Players of the calibre of Ronaldo and Messi have little need for defensive attributes, so it is unsurprising to find that their respective ratings hover just above 30.

The enigmatic Al-Nassr captain secures another victory in defending, even though it doesn't carry much weight in the age-old debate of which star is better.

They both possess a rating of 24 for slide tackles, but that is the only statistic in which they share equal ground among all the defensive attributes.

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Football

Passing - Messi (90) > Ronaldo (75)

Messi surpasses his Portuguese counterpart in every passing category, and he does so with remarkable proficiency.

His innate talent for conjuring a pass seemingly out of nowhere has been a pivotal aspect of the South American's playing style since he took over from Deco in 2004.

On the other hand, passing has never been Ronaldo's strong suit and the numbers reflect that. All of his passing ratings fall in the 70s, while all but one of Messi's passing attributes comfortably reside in the 90s range.

Shooting - Cristiano Ronaldo (88) > Lionel Messi (87)

Both superstars are celebrated for their finishing prowess. Messi usually displays greater finesse in front of the goal, whereas Ronaldo's formidable long-range shooting and extraordinary shot power is a topic of constant discussion.

Though by a narrow margin, Messi holds the advantage in ratings for attacking position, finishing, long shots, and volleys.

This category is the closest of all and despite Messi winning four out of the six subcategories, Ronaldo emerges as the overall leader in shooting ratings by a mere one point.

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