Both Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi have defied the passage of time to deliver era-defining feats well into the autumn of their respective careers – but which of them enjoys the better record after the age of 30?
As he entered his fourth decade in June 2017, Messi was the shining light in a glittering Barcelona frontline and has spent his thirties demonstrating he is arguably the greatest footballer of all time.
But his latter years at Barcelona were marked by a downturn in fortunes amid the club’s off-field financial issues. After waving a tearful goodbye, Messi arrived at PSG at the age of 34 for a new challenge.
The Argentinian struggled to produce his best football during his debut season at the Parc des Princes, but still won a Ligue 1 title. He’s been much improved in year two, however, while in his mid-thirties he led Argentina to Copa America and Club World Cup triumphs.
Meanwhile, Ronaldo turned 30 in February 2015 with Real Madrid soon to embark on a run of three successive Champions League trophies.
While the continental silverware dried up at Juventus, and disappeared entirely at Manchester United, Ronaldo has spent the second half of his playing career winning an obscene amount of personal accolades.
He is now the record scorer of international goals – as well as lifting the European Championship and UEFA Nations League with Portugal – and both Ronaldo and Messi have continued their almost complete duopoly of the Ballon d’Or.
We’ve crunched the numbers to see which of the modern-day greats has enjoyed the best career record after the age of 30.
Cristiano Ronaldo
Games: 429Goals: 357Assists: 79Penalties (Conversation rate): 72 (79.1%)Minutes per goal: 102.1Minutes per non-penalty goal: 127.8Minutes per goal or assist: 83.2
Trophies Won:
– 1 x La Liga (2016-17)– 1 x Supercopa de Espana (2017)– 3 x Champions League (2015-16, 2016-17, 2017-18)– 2 x FIFA Club World Cup (2016, 2017)– 2 x UEFA Super Cup (2016, 2017)– 2 x Serie A (2018-19, 2019-20)– 1 x Coppa Italia (2020-21)– 2 x Supercoppa Italiana (2018, 2019)– 1 x European Championship (2016)– 1 x UEFA Nations League (2018-19)
Individual Awards:
– 2 x Ballon d’Or (2016, 2017)– 2 x The Best FIFA Men’s Player (2016, 2017)– 1 x European Golden Shoe (2014-15)– 1 x European Championship Golden Ball (2016)– 2 x Serie A Footballer of the Year (2018-19, 2019-20)– 1 x Pichichi Trophy (La Liga Top Scorer) (2014-15)– 1 x Capocannoniere (Serie A Top Scorer) (2020-21)– 1 x The Best FIFA Special Award for Outstanding Career Achievement (2021)
Lionel Messi:
Games: 306Goals: 230Assists: 118Penalties (Conversation rate): 34 (75.5%)Minutes per goal: 113.3Minutes per non-penalty goal: 133.0Minutes per goal or assist: 74.9
Trophies Won:
– 2 x La Liga (2017-18, 2018-19)– 2 x Copa del Rey (2017-18, 2020-21)– 1 x Supercopa de Espana (2018)– 1 x Ligue 1 (2021-22)– 1 x Trophee des Champions (2022)– 1 x Copa America (2021)– 1 x Artemio Franchi Cup (2022)– 1 x FIFA World Cup (2022)
Individual Awards:
– 2 x Ballon d’Or (2019, 2021)– 1 x FIFA Best Men’s Player (2019)– 2 x European Golden Shoe (2017-18, 2018-19)– 1 x World Cup Golden Ball (2022)– 1 x Copa America Best Player (2021)– 4 x Pichichi Trophy (La Liga top scorer) (2017-18, 2018-19, 2019-20, 2020-21)
Former Real Madrid star Kaka makes Cristiano Ronaldo claim
Kaka and Cristiano Ronaldo joined Real Madrid in the same summer transfer window. Their careers would go in very different paths though. The Portuguese superstar would go on to establish himself as one of the best in history, winning four Ballon d’Ors, four Champions League titles and several other honours during his time at Santiago Bernabeu.
For Kaka, it was clear that his best days were behind him. He had a decent season or two at Real Madrid, but was nowhere near as influential as he had been at his peak in AC Milan, even winning the Ballon d’Or on one occasion.
Thus, while Kaka’s career would fizzle away, Ronaldo would reach unimaginable heights only matched by a certain Lionel Messi.
Almost a decade-and-a-half since that summer, now, it is Ronaldo who finds himself struggling to produce his best, and recently joined Al-Nassr. Kaka praised his former teammate’s desire to win though.
Former Real Madrid star Kaka makes Ronaldo claim
As reported by GOAL, Kaka told Gazzetta dello Sport about Ronaldo:
“I think he wants to quit football by playing. I understand him, he is a special player. Players like him bring to the team a simple concept. Winning is not like losing. I have the feeling that many young players don’t understand this. If they win, it’s great, if not it doesn’t matter. It’s not like this. Maldini was a great example of this. He had won four Champions League and he wanted the fifth. Players like him make the difference, Zlatan can still be useful thanks to his mentality.”
Many have questioned and criticised Ronaldo’s decision to leave European football and join Al-Nassr. But perhaps, it ultimately comes down to his desire to play and win.
That is all Ronaldo has done throughout his career. So, it is very possible that he does not want to end his career at a club where he will have to sit on the bench for the majority of the time or a team that will not be competing for trophies.
Ronaldo is set to turn 38 years of age a few days later and there is no doubt that he is in the twilight of his playing career. His current deal with Al-Nassr runs till the summer of 2025. So, maybe the only thing he wants to do now is to go out as a winner.
Source: planetfootball.com; therealchamps.com
