Soccer fans’ favorite pastime? Arguing over Messi vs. Ronaldo, a debate that’s as endless as it is heated, with no final verdict in sight. However, Ronaldo reigns supreme over Messi in the content creation space on YouTube. Having launched his channel UR Cristiano only four days back, CR7 has attracted 43.1 million subscriptions and 220 million+ views. Leo Messi’s YouTube channel, on the other hand only has 2.9 million subscribers and around 59 million views, despite starting the channel 18 years ago.

Leo Messi’s low subscriber count is not a surprise nevertheless. Three years have passed since the 8x Ballon d’Or winner posted something on the video-sharing platform. Besides being inactive, Messi’s channel has a few other challenges to thrive in today’s content-creation space. We’ll explore them as we go ahead.

Here’s why Lionel Messi’s YouTube channel doesn’t attract eyeballs

Timing has been a boon in Cristiano Ronaldo‘s case and a bane in Lionel Messi’s. Ronaldo launched UR Cristiano at a time when the YouTube content creation boom has hit its peak. The Inter Miami captain started his YouTube stint with the channel Leo Messi when YouTube wasn’t a thing among netizens. Besides, when Messi started his channel in 2006, he was miles away from the global megastar he is today. He was a teenager who showed signs of greatness while playing for Barcelona. Hence, at the time, there weren’t obviously many fans to search Messi’s videos online.

Standing at the peak of internet stardom, Ronaldo never forgets to make sure that his YouTube channel remains the talk of the town in soccer circles. Messi, on the other hand, has never been seen promoting his channel. Unlike CR7, La Pulga didn’t make a huge announcement about his platform as well. Meanwhile, it must also be noted that the videos Ronaldo shares align perfectly with what we call YouTube content today. The Argentine’s YouTube activity isn’t, however, as updated as CR’s.

The drastic differences in the content shared by Ronaldo and Messi

Nobody would want to skip videos posted by Cristiano Ronaldo on YouTube. Who would miss a candid and playful conversation between him and his partner Georgina Rodriguez? Everyone will be eager to know if the Portuguese skipper prefers the NBA or the NFL or Michael Jordan or Stephen Curry. So his subscriber count and views keep climbing. Lionel Messi, however, has generally posted content that might be deemed old-fashioned today. Inactive since 2021, Messi shared his goals and game-related content with Barcelona, during the peak of activity on his YouTube channel.

There is already dime a dozen channels run by clubs and fans to share stellar videos of Messi and his game. Even he can’t compete with those channels. Anyhow, He also uses the channel to promote his sports clothing store, The Messi Store directly. The video he last posted is also in connection with this venture. Other than that, the Inter Miami star showcased his charity endeavors in the early days of his YouTube stint. The first video he posted on the channel is one such clip where many children in Argentina thank him for his noble acts.

See, how Ronaldo’s content is actually the content that the internet wants, and Messi’s contents aren’t that popular. Anyhow, it is not beyond La Pulga to turn some heads in the video-sharing space. There’ll be plenty who want to know about his and his family’s life in Miami. If he starts to prioritize such personal content over games and business, fans would indeed rush in crowds to hit the subscribe button on Leo Messi.