😎 Messi overtakes Cristiano Ronaldo in goals scored excluding penalties | OneFootball

Lionel Messi scored twice in Inter Miami's 5-1 rout against the New York Red Bulls, achieving yet another feat.

With 764 goals scored, the Argentine surpassed Cristiano Ronaldo (763) in non-penalty goals.

Of course, we don't want to say whether one or the other is better, this was just a statistic raised by performance statistics analysts, which fuels the fire between Team CR7 and Team Messi.

The statistic only considers goals made in official matches, excluding penalties - a metric often used to assess who is better, as it eliminates the influence of set pieces and highlights the player's ability to find the goal in open situations, in running play or technical plays like fouls.

Messi, currently at Inter Miami, reaches the mark at 37 years old, playing in a less demanding league, but with direct participation in almost all the team's goals.

Still, much of his count was built during his Barcelona days (2004–2021), where the Argentine shone in a system that favored his movement between lines and finishing ability.

Cristiano Ronaldo, on the other hand, maintains an advantage in the total number of official goals - there are over 880, depending on the source -, but also has more official matches played (about 200 more games than the Argentine).

The Portuguese star, known for his physical power and positioning in the box, converted over 150 penalties in his career, which contributed decisively to his overall number.

Messi's new lead in non-penalty goals fuels one of the most heated debates in contemporary football: who is the greatest player of the modern era?

Although the number does not end the discussion, it adds a layer of argument for those who value more the technique associated with fluid play than the coolness at the penalty spot.

Beyond the comparison with Ronaldo, Messi's achievement also stands out in relation to other historical names. Pelé, Romário and Josef Bican, for example, accumulate impressive numbers of goals, but with counts often without international consensus.

In the tactical aspect, the number also reveals Messi's own evolution: less physically explosive in recent years, he has adapted to more withdrawn roles, such as playmaker or false 9, while maintaining lethality.

His clear chance conversion rate remains among the highest in world football, according to data from the Opta platform.

With the recently won Copa America and eyes turned towards the preparation for the 2026 World Cup, Messi continues to expand his legacy.

Leading the non-penalty goal ranking may seem like a niche statistic, but for many, it is yet another proof of the Argentine's incomparable talent in open play.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.

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