Messi vs Ronaldo: Comparing Duo's Journey to Scoring 500+ League Goals

• Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are two of the greatest footballers of this generation
• The duo are the only players of the 21st century to score 500 or more league goals
• Ronaldo achieved the feat in February 2023, with Messi joining him over the weekend

Lionel Messi recently joined rival Cristiano Ronaldo in the exclusive club of players who have scored 500 or more league goals in football history.

The Argentine superstar joined the club following his weekend exploits for Inter Miami.

Messi was part of the Inter Miami squad, which demolished Orlando City 5-0 in the MLS.

The 36-year-old bagged a brace during the encounter, scoring both goals in the second half to inspire his side to victory.

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According to Sportskeeda, the two goals were just more than that, as they helped the Barcelona icon achieve a unique milestone in his career.

Messi and Ronaldo are now the only two active players to have achieved the landmark, with Robert Lewandowski, who is their closest challenger needing 121 goals to achieve the milestone.

Lewandowski, who is currently plying his trade with Barcelona, has scored an impressive 379 league goals in his career, with a huge chunk of them coming during his time in the Bundesliga with Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich.

How long it took Messi, Ronaldo to score 500+ goals

While Messi achieved his feat over the weekend, Ronaldo was the first to cross the 500-goal mark in 2023.

According to The Guardian, Ronaldo scored his 500th league goal last February while in action for Al Nassr against Al-Wehda.

The match saw the Portuguese score four goals as his side secured a 4-0 win.

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The 39-year-old needed 654 games to achieve the milestone, winning 450 of those and losing just 92.

Of the 500 goals scored, 99 were penalties, 33 free kicks, and 37 from open play.

More than half of the goals were for Real Madrid, with the Portugal international scoring 311 La Liga goals for the Spanish giants.

At Juventus, he found the back of the net 81 times in the Serie A, while 103 of those goals came in the Premier League during his two spells with Manchester United.

He also scored three goals in the Portuguese top flight with Sporting Lisbon.

Messi, meanwhile, needed 587 games to achieve the feat. 474 goals of his goals were for Barcelona, while 22 were for PSG.

The Argentine has scored 60 league penalties, 41 free-kicks, and 52 goals from outside the box.

Businesses owned by Lionel Messi

Sports Brief has also reported that Messi has never been known for his business acumen but for his sheer talent on the pitch.

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It is a talent that has seen him grace the greatest football podiums to the point of being referred to as the greatest of all time.

However, considering the brand and reputation he has built over the years, some may ask what businesses Lionel Messi owns.