Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo or Who is the better player at the moment?

Who’s in better form at the moment? Lionel Messi has recently been criticised by various experts for his performance, while Cristiano Ronaldo is leading Manchester United in various ratings. But what do specific statistics tell us?

A look at the bare statistics – Ronaldo has so far in the current season hit 16 league games in which he has scored eight goals and assisted on another three. In contrast, Messi, who has only played in eleven games in Ligue 1, has only scored one goal and five assists.

Yes, it is Messi who has a higher and better overall rating (if you want to use the English name “rating”) of 7.38. Ronaldo’s average at the moment is 6.94.

In any case, this is also due to the fact that the 36-year-old Portuguese has five more games under his belt. He has played 1,298 minutes in a Manchester United jersey so far this season, he has been voted player of the match three times and if we look at his passing success rate, it is over 80%.

The famous Argentine has played a good chunk less minutes in the current season – 866 to be precise. He has been voted Player of the Match twice and if we compare his pass percentage with the aforementioned Portuguese, it exceeds 85%.

In the Champions League, the two protagonists are in almost the same position. Messi has scored five goals in the five games played, Ronaldo has scored one more.

It should be noted, these two fighters have been in a long-distance tug-of-war throughout their careers. It could be said that Ronaldo is the better man at the moment, as he is really dragging Manchester United down with his goals.

Like Messi, however, he is often criticised for his performances, with some fans talking about how he is said to be virtually invisible when he is not scoring goals. However, objectively speaking, this is not only a problem for Ronaldo, but for the whole team.

It should also be noted that United have had a problem with this for a long time. In some games it seems as if there is no one who can link the defence, or rather the midfield, with the attack. The strikers, in particular, are of course paying the price.

Finally, Messi has a slightly different role at PSG than at his previous employer. The main finisher is Kylian Mbappé, who has scored nine goals and assisted eight more in 17 games.

And it was Mbappé who defended his teammate in a recent interview. Based on his words, Messi’s performances have been constant, he is relied upon and although it is not visible in the goals scored statistics, the thirty-four-year-old Argentine is struggling with great form.

We prefer to leave it to you to make an assessment on who is the better player at the moment. However, it is an indisputable fact that statistics will always have the upper hand in the overall totals.

Sources: Transfermarkt, WhoScored