The debate over who is the greatest between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo is far from over – in fact, we could say it will never truly end. But there are objective ways to measure and compare their achievements. This time, we’re looking at how many trophies each has won since leaving Europe’s top competitive level to try their luck in leagues many considered clearly inferior.
Lionel Messi celebrates MLS championship on the field with his wife and children in emotional moment
The Argentine arrived at Inter Miami in July 2023 to play in Major League Soccer (MLS), while the Portuguese had made the same move six months earlier, joining Al-Nassr in the Saudi Pro League in January 2023.
Messi has already won the trophy count
That’s exactly where the two diverge: Messi has lifted actual league silverware in much less time (on top of the three titles he had already won with Inter Miami before this season), whereas Cristiano Ronaldo has yet to win an official league title in Saudi Arabia.
Inter Miami’s No. 10 has claimed:
- Leagues Cup 2023
- Supporters’ Shield 2024
- Eastern Conference 2025
- MLS Cup 2025 (the most recent)
In 2025 alone, Messi won the MLS Golden Boot with 29 goals and 19 assists in just 28 regular-season games, was named league MVP, and set a new playoff record with 15 direct goal contributions (6 goals + 9 assists).
Cristiano Ronaldo, on the other hand, was the Saudi Pro League top scorer in 2023-24 (35 goals) and 2024-25 (25 goals), and in the 2023 calendar year he posted the best goal-scoring season of his career with 54 goals – a personal record.
When it comes to Messi specifically, it’s fair to say he arrived and completely revolutionized MLS, dramatically increasing stadium attendance and the league’s television visibility. Just look at the record 10.9 million viewers in 2024 and an average of 22,000 fans per match.
In conclusion, we can say that Messi has enjoyed significantly more success in the United States than CR7 has in Saudi Arabia – although many will continue to bring their own arguments to keep defending whoever they believe is the greatest of all time.
