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Cristiano Ronaldo vs. Lionel Messi: From FIFA 2004 to EA Sports FC 24, Who Had the Best Stats & Ratings Historically?

Published 09/28/2023, 12:19 PM EDT

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Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi have lit up soccer since they took to the pitch. Both players are considered two of the best players to grace the pitch. And while there’s no “the best”, the debate of who is better has been one of the most talked about topics in soccer. One can make a list of things they haven’t achieved, but that would be incredibly short. From multiple champion’s league trophies to league titles to Messi’s world cup triumph, there’s infinite points to support either player’s case for who is the best, but all the best with that. And while players have debated who is better, the topic has also poured over to the soccer games. From the FIFA games to FC 24, Ronaldo and Messi fans have butted heads over their player ratings as well. So let’s see who dominated there.

Recently, a video has surfaced online that shows the overall stats of both players. Although these statistics do not entirely represent the players’ skills in real life, it might come as a surprise to fans as to which player had a higher overall rating through the years.

Who dominated the player ratings?

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The question of over two decades has been answered. According to the overall rating of both the players from Fifa 2004 to EA Sports FC 24, Messi has the highest score. The competition was a close one, with both players taking the honor on multiple occasions. But the clear-cut winner is Lionel Messi with a total of 12 points compared to Ronaldo’s 10. These points were based on how many times each player had a better overall rating.

Remember the 2011-12 la liga season? Lionel Messi achieved a remarkable feat by setting a record with an astonishing 50 La Liga goals, while Cristiano Ronaldo wasn’t far behind, netting an impressive 46 goals in the same season. And Real Madrid won that season with 100 points, 9 ahead of second place Barca. This is just one of the many examples of various talking points that have been used by fans to justify their pick for who is the better. With multiple champions league titles, league titles, golden boots, and Ballon d’Ors shared between the two, the debate has been on forever. And seems like the popular soccer video game franchise has settled this, so to speak.

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While both the players started off as right-wingers, Cristiano Ronaldo had the lead for the first 7 years in a row. Following were the ratings till 2010:

  • FIFA04: Cristiano Ronaldo 77, Messi 72
  • FIFA05: Cristiano Ronaldo 88, Messi 75
  • FIFA06: Cristiano Ronaldo 91, Messi 78
  • FIFA07: Cristiano Ronaldo 87, Messi 85
  • FIFA08: Cristiano Ronaldo 91, Messi 86
  • FIFA09: Cristiano Ronaldo 91, Messi 90
  • FIFA10: Cristiano Ronaldo 93, Messi 91

It was the first time in Fifa 11 that Lionel Messi received a better overall rating than CR7. It was for the next 6 years that the Argentine World Cup Winner, Lionel Messi, dominated the game until Fifa 16. In the next 2 installments of the game, Cristiano Ronaldo regained his throne until Fifa 18.

  • FIFA11: Cristiano Ronaldo 89, Messi 90
  • FIFA12: Cristiano Ronaldo 92, Messi 94
  • FIFA13: Cristiano Ronaldo 92, Messi 94
  • FIFA14: Cristiano Ronaldo 92, Messi 94
  • FIFA15: Cristiano Ronaldo 92, Messi 97
  • FIFA16: Cristiano Ronaldo 93, Messi 94
  • FIFA17: Cristiano Ronaldo 94, Messi 93
  • FIFA18: Cristiano Ronaldo 94, Messi 93

Fifa 19 was an interesting year as, for the first time, both the players received the same overall rating. Although the Portuguese legend scored a point there, that was when Messi began his reign again. Right now, the score is Ronaldo at 10 and Messi at 7. It was from FIFA 20 that Messi started shooting up from 7 to 12 points in EA Sports FC 24.

  • FIFA19: Cristiano Ronaldo 94, Messi 94
  • FIFA20: Cristiano Ronaldo 93, Messi 94
  • FIFA21: Cristiano Ronaldo 92, Messi 93
  • FIFA22: Cristiano Ronaldo 91, Messi 93
  • FIFA23: Cristiano Ronaldo 90, Messi 91
  • EA Sports FC 24: Cristiano Ronaldo 88, Messi 90

Although the overall ratings don’t make a player better than another, Messi fans will agree with EA’s rating through the years.

Player Ratings of Cristiano Ronaldo vs. Lionel Messi in EA Sports FC 24

While only the overall ratings have been discussed so far, fans can take a look at all the stats of both players in EA Sports FC 24. Let’s take a closer look at the specific attributes and skills of both players.

Lionel Messi:

  • Pace (PAC): 80
  • Shooting (SHO): 87
  • Passing (PAS): 90
  • Dribbling (DRI): 94
  • Defense (DEF): 33
  • Physicality (PHY): 64

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Cristiano Ronaldo:

  • Pace (PAC): 77
  • Shooting (SHO): 88
  • Passing (PAS): 75
  • Dribbling (DRI): 80
  • Defense (DEF): 34
  • Physicality (PHY): 74

Lionel Messi demonstrates excellence in dribbling and passing, and his balanced attribute profile renders him an exceptional playmaker and goal-scorer.

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Cristiano Ronaldo, although he slightly lags behind Messi in dribbling and passing, offsets this with higher physicality and shooting ratings, establishing himself as a formidable presence in front of the goal. Both players have different strengths and playing styles, which keeps the debate going about who is the better footballer.

Watch this story: American Athletes With Ownership in Soccer Teams

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Written by:

Viren Mirpuri

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Viren is an Esports Writer at EssentiallySports. With a Mass Media degree in one hand and a gaming controller in another, he is set to document every milestone in the gaming industry. As an Esports journalist, he has covered over 500 articles about what is fresh in the scene.
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Edited by:

Rohan Karnad