Cristiano Ronaldo vs Lionel Messi: 7 records Al-Nassr star could now lose to PSG man | OneFootball

The eternal GOAT debate between Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi might well be at an end following the Portuguese superstar’s big-money move to Saudi Pro League side Al-Nassr.

Argentine icon Messi had already taken a giant step towards securing his legacy as the greatest player of all time when he guided his beloved nation to World Cup glory in Qatar.

Ronaldo, meanwhile, ended up playing a bit-part role for Portugal as they crashed out in the quarter-finals to Morocco.

The five-time Ballon d’Or winner will pocket a massive £175 million per year during his time in the Gulf state, but the huge payday comes at a cost.

After spending close to two decades thrilling fans with his performances across Europe’s top divisions – as well as the Champions League – Ronaldo is stepping out of the spotlight to embark on his Saudi adventure.

No disrespect to Al-Nassr, who currently top their domestic league, but they are hardly comparable to Manchester United, Real Madrid or Juventus in terms of pedigree.

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As the 37-year-old effectively closes the chapter on his time in European football, the door has been left very much ajar for Messi to swoop in and claim a number of records currently proudly held by Ronaldo.

With that in mind, the team behind messivronaldo.app have identified seven Ronaldo records that could be in jeopardy following his Saudi switch – and we’ve taken a look at them below.

Which Cristiano Ronaldo records could Messi snatch following his Al-Nassr move?

Goals in Europe’s Top 5 Leagues

A record that Messi has held before. The Paris Saint-Germain forward is just nine goals away from regaining his crown.

Barring an incredible turn of events, Messi should easily notch the two PSG goals he requires to best Ronaldo here before the end of the 2022/23 season.

Ronaldo: 819 goalsMessi: 793 goals

Total Club Goals

Ronaldo: 701 goals

Goals scored by Ronaldo in the Saudi Pro League will count here, although – at only 30 games – the country’s domestic league is eight games shorter than the Ligue 1 campaign.

Messi is also likely to play more cup games going forward than Ronaldo. The gap currently stands at 26 goals but if Messi was to have a couple more strong seasons at the end of his legendary career, he could realistically end up bettering Ronaldo’s mark by the time he hangs up his boots.

Neither man has anything left to prove in an international shirt.

It would be no surprise to see Ronaldo’s international career come to end after his decision to move to Saudi Arabia.

Messi, too, could easily decide to call time on his incredible stint with Argentina having finally realised his World Cup dream last month.

Even if Messi continues with La Albiceleste, 20 international goals is still a mighty gap to bridge at the age of 35. As we’ve learned in recent times, though, you write the Barcelona legend off at your peril.

Ronaldo: 41 assistsMessi: 40 assists

We’d still back Messi to take this record even if he wasn’t playing his club football alongside one of the most prolific forwards in the game in Kylian Mbappe! It’s surely only a matter of time.

This one would sting for Ronaldo!

Ronaldo made no secret on his desire to continue playing Champions League football for as long as possible when trying to engineer a move away from Man United last summer.

In fact, it was only recently that he reportedly came to the realisation that it wouldn’t be possible.

Currently the most prolific man in Champions League history, Ronaldo could lose his pace-setting status if Messi finds the net on just 12 more occasions in Europe’s premier club competition.

For all the Champions League history Ronaldo has made in his incredible career, he must surely have now played his last match in the competition.

Messi, on the other hands, looks set to be a regular at Europe’s top table for as long as he remains at PSG.

Chelsea struggling badly! (Via The Football Terrace)