Melo Data Showdown: Ronaldo leads in goals, headers, and penalties; Messi excels in assists, free kicks, and long-range shots

The Melo rivalry remains an eternal topic in football. Every reader has their own Hamlet, meaning everyone has their favorite idol, which is understandable. But overall, Messi and Ronaldo are the top two superstars, maintaining peak performance for 20 years—a feat no other player has matched. In response, 433 conducted a comprehensive data showdown of Melo and called their rivalry the greatest duel in football history.

Melo Data Showdown:

• Ronaldo: 1291 matches, 948 goals, 258 assists, involved in 1206 goals.
• Messi: 1129 matches, 886 goals, 398 assists, involved in 1284 goals.

Free kick goals: Messi 69, Ronaldo 64.

Hat-tricks: Ronaldo 66 times, Messi 59 times.

Left-foot goals: Messi 744, Ronaldo 181.

Right-foot goals: Ronaldo 609, Messi 110.

Header goals: Ronaldo 156, Messi 28.

Goals with other parts of the body: Messi 4, Ronaldo 2.

Penalty goals: Ronaldo 178, Messi 111.

Penalty conversion rate: Ronaldo 84%, Messi 78%.

Goals from outside the box: Messi 102, Ronaldo 71.

Here are some additional stats not covered by 433:Messi averages 0.78 goals per game, Ronaldo 0.73; Messi averages 0.35 assists per game, Ronaldo 0.19.This shows Messi's efficiency surpasses Ronaldo’s, making him more well-rounded, as he not only scores more but also assists teammates more frequently.