Before the opening match at EURO 2024, Ronaldo had played 207 matches for the Portuguese national team in official tournaments and scored 130 goals. Meanwhile, Messi has scored 108 goals in 182 matches. This is the most goals and second in the list of strikers who have scored the most goals for the national team in history.
Ronaldo's career in the national team started in 2003, Messi was in 2005. When CR7 first wore the Portuguese shirt, the two current members of the "European Selecao" participating in EURO 2024, Antonio Silva and Joao Neves, were not even born.
The rate of goals scored per match for the national team between Ronaldo and Messi is quite similar (0.63 and 0.59). If Messi starts earlier or finishes later than his colleagues, he may be able to balance this metric.
Messi and Ronaldo are symbols of endurance. Together, they have played 31,462 minutes for the national team (nearly 22 consecutive days). To achieve that, in addition to the extraordinary will, both the M10 and CR7 also show maximum professionalism.
To have such a terrible scoring record, Ronaldo and Messi need great help from their teammates. Over the past 21 years, CR7 has played with 139 teammates. This figure for Messi from 2005 to present is 168 even though he has played 25 fewer matches than his colleagues.
The player Ronaldo has played the most for the Portuguese national team is Joao Moutinho (111 matches). For Messi, it was called called called called called called called called up by Xaves Mascherano (111 games). Messi has played alongside Angel Di Maria for 109 matches, meaning Mascherano's record could be demoted in the summer of Copa America 2024.
Ronaldo has 14 goals at EURos (the most) while Messi has scored 13 at the World Cup, after Miroslav Klose of Germany (16 goals), Ronaldo of Brazil (15) and Gerd Muller of West Germany (14).
Messi has played more international friendly matches than Ronaldo in 3 (57 compared to 54) but El Pulga has scored 29 goals in this type of match than CR7. Part of the reason comes from M10's hat-tricks. Messi has so far had 9 hat-tricks for the national team, 6 of which came from friendly matches. Meanwhile, Ronaldo has never scored more than 3 goals in a friendly match.
EURO 2024 is the 11th major tournament Ronaldo will participate in, this number belongs to Messi with Copa America 2024 and 12. CR7 has scored in the previous 10 conferences while Messi was 9/11 once. Ronaldo scored the most goals in a major tournament at EURO 2020 (5 goals) to help him win the Golden Boot. CR7 was also the top scorer at EURO in 2012 (3 goals).
In terms of scoring style, Ronald is more versatile than Messi. While CR7 can score regularly with his left foot, right foot and head, Messi often only uses his left foot to turn it into a trick.
In the national team, Ronaldo and Messi rarely scored when the match went into extra time. The proof is that Messi only did this once in the 2022 World Cup final. The pair often scored the most goals around the 46th - 60th minute (first half).
Finally, the scoring location. Ronaldo is in Europe, so most of his goals will be scored at EURO, the friendly tournament or the Nations League. Meanwhile, Messi is more focused in South America. The times they met in a big tournament (blue and red next to each other) was the World Cup.
