Cristiano Ronaldo vs Lionel Messi: From FIFA 2004 to EA Sports FC 24, who had the best stats and ratings in history?

Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi have lit up football since they took to the field. Both players are considered two of the best players on the field. And even though there is no “best”, the debate over who is better is one of the most discussed topics in football. We could make a list of things they didn’t accomplish, but it would be incredibly short. From multiple Champions League trophies to league titles to Messi’s World Cup triumph, there are endless points to support each player’s arguments for who is the best, but all the best at that . And while players debate who is better, the topic has also extended to football games. From FIFA matches to FC 24, fans of Ronaldo and Messi have also clashed over their players’ ratings. So let’s see who dominated there.

Recently, a video surfaced online showing the overall stats of both players. While these stats don’t fully represent players’ real-life skills, fans might be surprised to know which player has earned a higher overall rating over the years.

Who topped the player ratings?

The question that has lasted for more than two decades has been answered. According to the overall rating of the two players from Fifa 2004 at EA Sports FC 24, Messi has the highest score. The competition was close, with both players winning the honor on multiple occasions. But the undisputed winner is Lionel Messi with a total of 12 points against 10 for Ronaldo. These points were based on the number of times each player achieved a better overall rating.

Do you remember the 2011-12 La Liga season? Lionel Messi achieved a remarkable feat by setting a La Liga record with 50 goals, while Cristiano Ronaldo was not far behind, scoring an impressive 46 goals in the same season. And Real Madrid won this season with 100 points, 9 ahead of second-placed Barça. This is just one of many examples of various talking points that have been used by fans to justify their choice of who is better. With several Champions League titles, league titles, golden shoes and Ballon d’Or shared between the two, the debate has been going on forever. And it looks like the popular soccer video game franchise has fixed that problem, so to speak.

While both players started as right wingers, Cristiano Ronaldo was up front for the first 7 years in a row. Here are the grades through 2010:

• FIFA04: Cristiano Ronaldo 77, Messi 72
• FIFA05: Cristiano Ronaldo 88, Messi 75
• FIFA06: Cristiano Ronaldo 91, Messi 78
• FIFA07: Cristiano Ronaldo 87, Messi 85
• FIFA08: Cristiano Ronaldo 91, Messi 86
• FIFA09: Cristiano Ronaldo 91, Messi 90
• FIFA10: Cristiano Ronaldo 93, Messi 91

This was the first time in Fifa 11 that Lionel Messi received a better overall rating than CR7. It was for the next 6 years that Argentine World Cup winner Lionel Messi dominated the game until Fifa 16. In the next 2 installments of the game, Cristiano Ronaldo regained his throne until Fifa 18 .

• FIFA11: Cristiano Ronaldo 89, Messi 90
• FIFA12: Cristiano Ronaldo 92, Messi 94
• FIFA13: Cristiano Ronaldo 92, Messi 94
• FIFA14: Cristiano Ronaldo 92, Messi 94
• FIFA15: Cristiano Ronaldo 92, Messi 97
• FIFA16: Cristiano Ronaldo 93, Messi 94
• FIFA17: Cristiano Ronaldo 94, Messi 93
• FIFA18: Cristiano Ronaldo 94, Messi 93

Fifa 19 was an interesting year as, for the first time, both players received the same overall rating. Even though the Portuguese legend scored a point there, that’s when Messi resumed his reign. Right now the score is Ronaldo at 10 and Messi at 7. It was from FIFA 20 that Messi started to go from 7 to 12 points in EA Sports FC 24.

• FIFA19: Cristiano Ronaldo 94, Messi 94
• FIFA20: Cristiano Ronaldo 93, Messi 94
• FIFA21: Cristiano Ronaldo 92, Messi 93
• FIFA22: Cristiano Ronaldo 91, Messi 93
• FIFA23: Cristiano Ronaldo 90, Messi 91
• EA Sports FC 24: Cristiano Ronaldo 88, Messi 90

Although overall ratings don’t make one player better than another, Messi fans will agree with EA’s rating over the years.

Cristiano Ronaldo vs. Lionel Messi Player Ratings in EA Sports FC 24

Although only overall ratings have been discussed so far, fans can check out all of the stats for both players in EA Sports FC 24. Let’s take a closer look at the specific attributes and skills of both players.

Lionel Messi:

• Pace (PAC): 80
• Shooting (SHO): 87
• Pass (PAS): 90
• Dribbling (DRI): 94
• Defense (DEF): 33
• Physics (PHY): 64

Cristiano Ronaldo:

• Pace (PAC): 77
• Shooting (SHO): 88
• Pass (PAS): 75
• Dribbling (DRI): 80
• Defense (DEF): 34
• Physics (PHY): 74

Lionel Messi demonstrates excellence in dribbling and passing, and his balanced attribute profile makes him an exceptional playmaker and scorer.

Cristiano Ronaldo, although slightly behind Messi in dribbling and passing, makes up for this with higher physicality and shooting scores, establishing himself as a fearsome presence in front of goal. Both players have different strengths and playing styles, which keeps the debate going about who is the better footballer.

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