Lionel Messi has reached 500 league goals, but how quickly did he achieve this milestone compared to Cristiano Ronaldo?
Only a few players have achieved the feat of scoring 500 league goals, and Messi has recently become the newest member of this exclusive group.
Most of his league goals were scored during his time playing for Barcelona and PSG in Europe. 474 goals were scored for Barcelona, 22 for PSG, and the final four strikes were with Inter Miami.
Scoring twice over the weekend against Orlando City pushed the 36-year-old past the 500-goal milestone.
Messi had an extra reason to celebrate as Luis Suarez assisted him for his 500th goal. The forward from Uruguay delivered a precise cross from the left side, allowing Messi to connect with a perfectly timed header.
Considering Messi’s impressive performance in MLS, it wouldn’t be unexpected to see him significantly increase his total goals before the season ends.
Currently, the 36-year-old is scoring an MLS goal every 90 minutes. If he can keep up that ratio until the end of the campaign, he will end the season with 34 league goals.
Just a little over a year ago, Cristiano Ronaldo achieved the impressive milestone of scoring 500 league goals. Ronaldo, similar to Messi, scored most of his goals in Europe, with his 500th goal being scored while playing for Al-Nassr.
On February 9th, 2023, the Portuguese superstar reached a milestone by scoring his 500th league goal. Ronaldo reached the milestone during Al-Nassr’s 4-0 victory over Al-Wehda, with Ronaldo scoring all four goals.
After achieving the significant milestone last year, the 39-year-old has continued to increase his total and now boasts 534 league goals in his distinguished career.
Ronaldo scored a total of 500 goals, with the majority (311) for Real Madrid, followed by 103 goals during his time at Manchester United, 81 for Juventus, three for Sporting, and the last two for Al-Nassr.
Regardless of whether you prefer Lionel Messi or Ronaldo, both players deserve credit for their incredible consistency throughout their careers. Even in their late thirties, they continue to thrive.
We’ve examined both players and compared the time it took them to each score 500 league goals.
Lionel Messi
Games to reach 500 league goals: 587
Won: 428
Drawn: 98
Lost: 61
Penalties: 60
Free-kicks: 41
Outside the box (open play): 52
Left foot: 415
Right foot: 66
Header: 17
Other: 2
Assists: 225
Minutes per goal: 95.58
Minutes per non-penalty goal: 108.6
Cristiano Ronaldo
Games to reach 500 league goals: 654
Won: 450
Drawn: 112
Lost: 92
Penalties: 99
Free-kicks: 33
Outside the box (open play): 37
Left foot: 88
Right foot: 331
Header: 79
Other: 2
Assists: 144
Minutes per goal: 104.2
Minutes per non-penalty goal: 130.06
