The GOAT of the millennium should be traced to Lionel Messi or Christiana Ronaldo apart from the fact that both were fighting for the ballon d’or award for 13 good years. Both players had set different craziest records in football.
Let’s flash back balloon d’or award from the year 2000.
2000 Luís Figo
2001 Michael Owen
2002 Ronaldo
2003 Pavel Nedvěd
2004 Andriy Shevchenko
2005 Ronaldinho
2006 Fabio Cannavaro
2007 Kaká
Messi holds the record for most Ballon d’Ors with eight (2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2019, 2021 and 2023).
Cristiano Ronaldo with five:2008,2013,2014,2016and 2017.
2018 Luka Modrić
2020 not awarded
2022 Karim Benzema
2024 Rodri
Record set by Lionel Messi
Messi holds the records for most European Golden Shoes (6), most goals in a calendar year (91), most goals for a single club (672, with Barcelona), most goals (474), hat-tricks (36) and assists (192) in La Liga, most assists (18) and goal contributions (32) in the Copa América, most goal contributions (21) in the World.
Ronaldo’s individual records
Most UEFA club competition appearances: 197.
Most UEFA club competition goals: 145.
Most UEFA Champions League goals: 140.
Most goals in a UEFA Champions League season: 17 (2013/14)
Most goals in UEFA Champions League knockout stages: 67.
Won four Golden Shoes,
Top goalscorer of all time with 900 with 66 hat-tricks.
Only player to score three goals at multiple EUROs: 2012, 2016, 2020
Only player to score at five World Cups: 2006, 2010, 2014, 2018, 2022
First player to score ten hat-tricks in men’s international football.
How many officials’ trophies have they both won?
Both players have won 78 official trophies in total (Messi 45, Ronaldo 33) during their senior careers.
Globe Soccer award
Messi won it once, in 2015. While Ronaldo has won the award 6 times (2011, 2014, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019).
For me, I see that two great people have talent, which I think is Messi.
While Ronaldo has a gift which he works perfectly hard on. Out of 66 hat – tricks, 36 were scored after he was 30 years old.
To be clear about my statement, check the difference between gift and talent.
Giftedness talks about potential abilities, whereas talent talks about present abilities that can be demonstrated or performed.
G.O.A.T. Means
Greatest of All Time)