Lionel Messi inspired Argentina to a remarkable World Cup victory on penalties over France, putting an end to the Cristiano Ronaldo debate among many football stars. Argentina’s incredible World Cup victory over France on penalties, led by Lionel Messi, put an end to the debate surrounding Cristiano Ronaldo among many football stars.
In the end, the GOAT discussion had come down to who had taken home the most international medals. And Cristiano Ronaldo had moved ahead in the race after leading Portugal to victories in the 2016 Euro Cup and the 2019 Nations League. With the victory at the 2021 Copa America, Lionel Messi made amends. The benchmark for concluding the protracted conflict was then set as the FIFA World Cup victory. And on Sunday night at the Lusail Stadium, when Argentina defeated France in a thrilling championship match, it was Messi who silenced Ronaldo fans with the stunning title haul.
Messi has won a World Cup.
Ronaldo has never won a World Cup.The debate is over people.
— ksi (@KSI) December 18, 2022
Argentina is the 2022 FIFA World Cup Champion! Argentina beat defending champion France by 4-2 (3-3 in extra time) on penalties to win FIFA World Cup.
After Diego Maradona won Argentina’s second World Cup in 1986, his much-touted successor Messi literally powdered and spurred Argentina to its first World Cup victory in 34 years.
As Messi wins the biggest prize of his career, many fans believe he also settles the G.O.A.T (greatest of all time) debate once and for all. While he was undeniably one of the greatest players of all time, the FIFA World Cup trophy-sized hole in his cabinet was frequently cited as the biggest gap in his career.
& that’s that Lionel Messi the GREATEST PLAYER EVER
GOAT
He stands alone no one even comes close !!
WORLD BOSS Lionel Messi 🇦🇷⚽️
— ravel morrison (@morrisonravel) December 18, 2022
Messi scored twice in the 3-3 tie before nailing his penalty kick to help seal the victory.
Also Read: Lionel Messi : Top 5 lesser-known facts about Messi you need to know
Lionel Messi has finally won the World Cup as Argentina defeated France 4-2 in a penalty shoot-out after a completely ridiculous 120 minutes of football.
The first big moment of the game came from a penalty spot, with Messi converting from 12 yards after Angel Di Maria was brought down by Ousmane Dembele. In the 36th minute, Di Maria doubled his country’s lead by converting Alexis MacAllister’s pass.
Following Argentina’s victory, a number of footballers took to social media to share their thoughts on the Messi vs. Ronaldo debate.
The GOAT debate has officially ended.
We all understand that Lionel Messi is the greatest player in history. End of story#FIFAWorldCup pic.twitter.com/Ef6k8MpcDt
— Bill Eshun (@Bill_Eshun) December 18, 2022
Cristiano Ronaldo vs Lionel Messi: The G.O.A.T Debate
Messi became the first player in FIFA World Cup history to score in every round of the knockout stages, and his two goals in the final against France put him on seven goals for the tournament, only being beaten to the coveted Golden Boot award by France’s Kylian Mbappé, who scored a hat-trick in the final.
Meanwhile, Portugal striker Cristiano Ronaldo may have returned home early after his team was eliminated in the round of 16. He did, however, lead Portugal to victories in the European Championships in 2016 and the UEFA Nations League in 2019.
Lionel Messi ends the GOAT debate 🐐 #FIFAWorldCup pic.twitter.com/XyRUh5pmAQ
— Farid Khan (@_FaridKhan) December 18, 2022
Cristiano Ronaldo has 804 goals in 1106 games in his career (0.72 goals per game). Lionel Messi, on the other hand, has 759 goals in 957 games (0.79 goals per game). According to these statistics, Cristiano has scored more goals than Messi. Cristiano Ronaldo, on the other hand, has played 149 more games than Lionel Messi.
Lionel Messi has scored 26 goals in 38 El Clasico games for Barcelona in his career. Cristiano Ronaldo has scored 18 goals in 30 El Clasico appearances. Messi has won 17 El Clasicos in 38 appearances, while Cristiano has only won 8 El Clasicos in 30.
When it came to World Cups, neither had won until Argentina triumphed in 2022, thanks to a string of sublime performances from Messi.
Prior to the 2022 World Cup, Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo had scored more goals in fewer appearances, but Messi turned things around in Qatar, leading his country to the coveted trophy with an impressive seven goals and three assists.
Cristiano Ronaldo vs Lionel Messi: Titles
| Cristiano Ronaldo | Competition | Lionel Messi |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | World Cup | 1 |
| 1 | European Championship / Copa America | 1 |
| 1 | Nations League / Finalissima | 1 |
| 0 | Olympics | 1 |
| 7 | League titles | 11 |
| 5 | Champions League | 4 |
| 4 | Club World Cup | 3 |
| 4 | National Cups* | 7 |
| 22 | Total | 29 |
Here’s Messi’s achievements:
- Most goals scored in a La Liga career – 474. Ronaldo is in second place, with 311.
- Most goals scored in a single La Liga season – 50, in the 2011/12 season. Ronaldo’s highest league tally was 48 goals in 2014/15.
- Most assists in a single La Liga season – 21, during 2019/20.
- Most assists in a La Liga career – 193, over double Ronaldo’s total of 88.
- Most hat-tricks in a La Liga career – 36. Messi surpassed Ronaldo’s record of 34 in 2019.
- Most consecutive games scored in La Liga by an individual – 21, in the 2012/13 season.
- Most consecutive La Liga seasons to score 20 goals – 13
- Most wins of the La Liga top scorer award (Pichichi Trophy) – 8
- Most wins of the European Golden Shoe award – 6
