Lionel Messi continues to distance himself from Cristiano Ronaldo in the best player battle, after the Flea won the 2024 Copa America with Argentina.
The “Don” failed to lead Portugal beyond the quarter-finals of Euro 2024 and has been heavily criticized for his significant decline in form.
On the other hand, despite injury, Messi was able to play a major role in Argentina’s Copa America win, taking his trophy tally to 45.
Messi remains the most decorated player in football history, whether those titles came with Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain, Inter Miami or Argentina.
On the other hand, Cristiano Ronaldo has only won 33 trophies, and has not been on the podium since 2021, specifically since moving to Manchester United from Juventus.
The 2020-21 Italian Cup was Ronaldo’s last trophy, and since then he has not won any titles, and is still looking for his first official shield with Al-Nassr after a season and a half at the Saudi club.
In practical terms, Messi has decided the most decorated player battle with Ronaldo in his favor, even if Ronaldo’s intention is to continue playing until the 2026 World Cup.
It is worth noting that Messi also surpasses Ronaldo in the Ballon d’Or battle, as the Argentine has won 8 Ballon d’Ors compared to 5 for the Portuguese star.