Player Profiles

Player profiles: Messi and Ronaldo
With 12 Ballon d’Or awards and countless records between them, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo will go down in history as two of the best football players ever.
In his career Messi spent 21 years with FC Barcelona, but has now embarked on a new chapter at French club Paris Saint-Germain. At Barca he won multiple trophies including Spain’s La Liga title ten times and the Uefa Champions League four times. He also won his seventh Ballon d’Or award in 2021.
For Argentina Messi has a record 158 caps for his country in which he has scored 80 goals. Argentina won the 2021 Copa America with Messi the top goalscorer in the competition. After winning a gold medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympics the Copa America triumph in 2021 was Messi’s first in senior international football.
Portugal skipper Ronaldo has played his club football with Sporting Lisbon (2002-03), Manchester United (2003-09), Real Madrid (2009-2018) and Juventus (2018-2021). In the 2021 summer transfer window he made a sensational return to Old Trafford. His trophy collection includes five Champions League winners’ medals and league titles in England, Spain and Italy.
Five-time Ballon d’Or winner, Ronaldo, who has scored more than 800 goals for club and country, is the top goalscorer in men’s international football with 115 in 184 matches for Portugal. He won the European Championship with his country in 2016. He is also the all-time top goalscorer for Real Madrid (450) and in the Champions League (140).
Lionel Messi player profile
Age: 34
Born: 24 June 1987
Clubs: Paris Saint-Germain (2021-present); Barcelona (2004-2021)
Nationality: Argentine
Ballon d’Or wins: 7 wins (2021, 2019, 2015, 2012, 2011, 2010, 2009)
The Best Fifa Men’s Player: 1 (2019)
Champions League winners’ medals – 4: 2005–06, 2008–09, 2010–11, 2014–15 (all with Barcelona)
Laureus World Sportsman of the Year award: 1 (2019, joint winner with Lewis Hamilton)
Captained Argentina in their 2021 Copa America win.
Cristiano Ronaldo player profile
Age: 37
Born: 5 February 1985
Clubs: Manchester United (2021-present); Juventus (2018-2021); Real Madrid (2009-2018); Manchester United (2003-09); Sporting Lisbon (2002-03)
Nationality: Portuguese
Ballon d’Or wins: 5 wins (2017, 2016, 2014, 2013, 2008)
The Best Fifa Men’s Player: 2 wins (2016 and 2017)
Champions League winners’ medals – 5: 2007–08 with Man Utd; 2013–14, 2015–16, 2016–17 and 2017–18 with Real Madrid
Captained Portugal in their Euro 2016 win
Top goalscorer in men’s international football (115 goals)
Top goalscorer in the Uefa Champions League (140 goals)










