The next edition of the Messi Vs. Ronaldo Matchup: Version 037

The football world awaits the next time that Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi would be on the same pitch again. Though it was rumoured during the summer that Cristiano Ronaldo could join Lionel Messi at Paris Saint-Germain, the deal was never true and the Portuguese moved to Manchester United instead. Now they will play as rivals the next time they meet. The last time both players met was in December 2020, with Cristiano Ronaldo's Juventus thrashing Barcelona 3-0 and Ronaldo netting a brace. 

What is the head-to-head record in Cristiano Ronaldo Vs. Lionel Messi games?

Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi have been eternal rivals, especially when both played in the La Liga between 2009 and 2018. Across all competitions, the football greats have faced each other a total of 36 times in official matches. In these matches, Lionel Messi edges Cristiano Ronaldo with 16 wins for Lionel Messi, 11 wins for Cristiano Ronaldo and 9 of the matches ending in a draw. 

Across all competitions, the two players have played against each other 18 times in the Spanish La Liga, 6 times in the UEFA Champions League, 5 times in the Spanish Super Cup and another 5 times in the Copa del Rey. The remaining 2 matches came at the national team level and both were friendly matches.

When can Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi play each other this season?

If both players achieve their aims, there is bound to be a point where they meet this season and that is in the UEFA Champions League. Cristiano Ronaldo escaped meeting Lionel Messi earlier on in the UEFA Champions League by not joining Manchester City. Both Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain were grouped in the Champions League group stages and both players could have met twice before December. 

Now, Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi would hope that their teams qualify from their respective group stages into the knockout phases where they could meet each other anytime. Cristiano Ronaldo's Manchester United lost their Matchday 1 fixture to Young Boys by 2 goals to one while Lionel Messi's Paris Saint-Germain drew their first game 1-1 to Club Brugge.