Messi vs Ronaldo in FIFA World Cup: Who has performed better?
As the FIFA World Cup 2026 approaches, here’s a look at the WC stats of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo ahead of the tournament.
Matches
Messi has played 26 matches in the FIFA World Cup, the most by any player in the tournament's history, while Ronaldo has made 22 appearances.
Total goals and assists
The Argentine has scored 13 goals and registered eight assists in the World Cup, while Ronaldo has recorded eight goals and two assists. Messi's total of 21 goal contributions is more than double Ronaldo's tally of 10.
Player of the Match awards
Messi holds the record for the most Player of the Match awards in the World Cup with 10, while Ronaldo has won just one. He is also the only player in World Cup history to win the FIFA Golden Ball twice, earning it in 2014 and 2022.
Most Knockout-Stage goals
Across his World Cup career, Messi has scored six goals and provided six assists in knockout matches, directly contributing to 12 goals. Ronaldo, on the other hand, has no goals or assists in knockout games at the World Cup, with all his eight goals coming in the group stage.
Which records could they break in FIFA World Cup 2026
Messi enters the tournament already holding several World Cup records. He owns the records for most World Cup appearances (26 matches) and most minutes played (2,314), surpassing Paolo Maldini during the 2022 tournament.
He is also Argentina’s all-time leading World Cup scorer with 13 goals and sits just three behind Miroslav Klose’s all-time record of 16. That is one record Messi has a good chance of breaking as he looks to add to his achievements.
Ronaldo does not hold many World Cup records, but he could still break some in 2026. If Argentina gets eliminated early while Portugal go deep into the tournament, Ronaldo could set new records for most World Cup matches and minutes played.
However, with eight World Cup goals to his name, he would need an exceptional tournament to surpass Miroslav Klose’s record of 16 goals.
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