Direct Confrontation
MESSI vs RONALDO
Head-to-Head Record
📊 Last Updated: September 17, 2026 • Source: Official Stats
Total Matches Played Against Each Other
Head-to-Head Statistics
All matches where Messi and Ronaldo were on opposing teams
| Category | Messi | vs | Ronaldo | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total Matches | 36 | vs | 36 | Tie |
| Wins | 16 | vs | 11 | Messi |
| Draws | 9 | vs | 9 | Tie |
| Goals | 23 | vs | 21 | Messi |
| Assists | 12 | vs | 1 | Messi |
El Clásico: Barcelona vs Real Madrid
The greatest club rivalry featuring football's two greatest players
El Clásico: Career Records
Each player's totals across every Clásico he contested (Messi 45, Ronaldo 30) — career figures, not a head-to-head.
| Category | Messi | vs | Ronaldo | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clásicos Played | 45 | vs | 30 | Tie |
| Clásico Goals | 26 | vs | 18 | Messi |
| Clásico Assists | 14 | vs | 1 | Messi |
| Clásico Wins | 19 | vs | 10 | Messi |
Key Head-to-Head Meetings
A verified selection of their most significant matches — every non-Clásico meeting plus the marquee Clásicos. Across these 18: Messi's side won 8, Ronaldo's side won 5, 5 were drawn, with 13 Messi goals to Ronaldo's 10. The full record across all 36 fixtures is in the summary above.
| Date | Competition | Match | Score | Messi | Ronaldo |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 2008 | Champions League · Semi-final 1st leg | Barcelona v Manchester United Their first meeting: a goalless stalemate at the Camp Nou. | 0–0 | — | — |
| Apr 2008 | Champions League · Semi-final 2nd leg | Manchester United v Barcelona Paul Scholes' strike sends Ronaldo's United to the final. | 1–0 | — | — |
| May 2009 | Champions League · Final | Barcelona v Manchester United Eto'o and a Messi header in Rome complete Barcelona's treble. | 2–0 | 1 | — |
| Nov 2009 | La Liga | Barcelona v Real Madrid Ibrahimović decides the pair's first league meeting. | 1–0 | — | — |
| Nov 2010 | La Liga | Barcelona v Real Madrid The 'Manita' — Xavi, Pedro, Villa (2) and Jeffrén run riot. | 5–0 | — | — |
| Feb 2011 | Friendly | Portugal v Argentina Their first meeting for their countries: Ronaldo levels, Messi's late penalty wins it. | 1–2 | 1 | 1 |
| Apr 2011 | La Liga | Real Madrid v Barcelona A penalty apiece opens the four-game April 2011 series. | 1–1 | 1 | 1 |
| Apr 2011 | Copa del Rey · Final | Real Madrid v Barcelona Ronaldo's extra-time header wins Madrid the cup. | 1–0 | — | 1 |
| Apr 2011 | Champions League · Semi-final 1st leg | Real Madrid v Barcelona Messi twice at the Bernabéu — one a slalom rated among the competition’s best — after Pepe is sent off. | 0–2 | 2 | — |
| May 2011 | Champions League · Semi-final 2nd leg | Barcelona v Real Madrid Pedro and Marcelo trade goals; Barcelona through 3–1 on aggregate. | 1–1 | — | — |
| Apr 2012 | La Liga | Barcelona v Real Madrid Ronaldo's winner puts Madrid on course for the title. | 1–2 | — | 1 |
| Oct 2012 | La Liga | Barcelona v Real Madrid Both men score twice at the Camp Nou. | 2–2 | 2 | 2 |
| Mar 2014 | La Liga | Real Madrid v Barcelona Messi hat-trick (two penalties), Ronaldo one from the spot — Messi becomes the fixture’s all-time top scorer. | 3–4 | 3 | 1 |
| Nov 2014 | Friendly | Argentina v Portugal Guerreiro settles it at Old Trafford; neither star scores. | 0–1 | — | — |
| Nov 2015 | La Liga | Real Madrid v Barcelona A rout at the Bernabéu — Suárez (2), Neymar and Iniesta; Messi off the bench. | 0–4 | — | — |
| Apr 2017 | La Liga | Real Madrid v Barcelona Messi's stoppage-time winner — his 500th Barcelona goal. | 2–3 | 2 | — |
| May 2018 | La Liga | Barcelona v Real Madrid Their final Clásico: both score before Ronaldo limps off. | 2–2 | 1 | 1 |
| Dec 2020 | Champions League · Group stage | Barcelona v Juventus Ronaldo's two penalties at the Camp Nou — their last competitive meeting. | 0–3 | — | 2 |
Score coloured by the winning player's side. "Messi" / "Ronaldo" columns show goals scored by each in that match.
Most Memorable Encounters
Santiago Bernabéu, May 2011
Champions League Semi-Final
Messi scored 2 goals at the Santiago Bernabéu, including a legendary solo goal, sending Barcelona to the Champions League final. They would go on to win the trophy.
Camp Nou, October 2012
La Liga
Ronaldo scored twice at Camp Nou, including a dramatic late equalizer in injury time to salvage a crucial draw for Real Madrid.
Camp Nou, March 2014
La Liga
Messi scored a hat-trick in a thrilling 7-goal classic. His third goal was the winner in one of the most exciting El Clásicos ever.
Camp Nou, April 2017
La Liga
Ronaldo scored the winner in the 82nd minute and celebrated by removing his shirt in front of Barcelona fans. Real Madrid went on to win La Liga.
Meetings by Competition
La Liga
Copa del Rey
Spanish Super Cup
Did You Know?
Their Champions League meetings all came in Ronaldo's Manchester United and Juventus eras — the 2008 semi-final, the 2009 final and a 2020 group game — plus the 2011 semi-final at the peak of the rivalry.
The 2009-2018 period when they both played in La Liga is considered the golden era of El Clásico.
Between them, they scored 44 goals across all El Clásico matches—an average of nearly one goal per match each.
They have met just twice at international level, both friendlies — Argentina 2–1 Portugal in 2011, decided by a late Messi penalty, and Portugal 1–0 Argentina in 2014.