Opinions, analysis and commentary
Ronaldo is closer, and it isn’t particularly close. He sits on 979 career goals and needs just 21 more, while Messi needs 71 to get from 929. Both crossed fresh milestones in September, Messi reaching his 100th Inter Miami goal in the Campeones Cup final, Ronaldo reaching 979 with a header against Abha. But the gap in age, appearances remaining, and scoring pace makes this far more one-sided than the two greatest goalscorers of this era being mentioned together might suggest.
Messi’s 929th goal came in style, a 24th-minute header off a Luis Suarez cross as Inter Miami beat Cruz Azul 2-0 to win the 2026 Campeones Cup on 17 September. It was his 100th goal in Miami colours, reached in just 115 appearances across all competitions for the club.
His full career breaks down to 672 for Barcelona, 32 for Paris Saint-Germain, 100 for Inter Miami, and 125 for Argentina. He also scored eight goals at the 2026 World Cup, becoming the tournament’s all-time leading scorer with 21 goals across his career there, even though Argentina fell to Spain in the final. In the 2025 calendar year alone, he scored 46 goals, his best annual haul in years.
The numbers make the gap plain. Ronaldo sits on 979 and needs 21 more, while Messi sits on 929 and needs 71. Ronaldo opened this season on 976, then added strikes away to Al-Riyadh on 21 August, against Al-Taawoun on 28 August, which also made him Al Nassr’s all-time top scorer in the Saudi Pro League, and with a header against Abha on 9 September.
That head start is not the only advantage. At 41, he is still scoring at a rate of roughly a goal every 1.15 games, meaning something in the region of 20 to 28 more appearances could get him there. Messi, at 39, would need output closer to his best two seasons just to close a gap more than three times the size.
Ronaldo’s career splits across 450 for Real Madrid, 146 for Portugal, the most in international football history, 140 in the Champions League, the competition’s all-time record, and 132 for his current club, on top of totals for Sporting, Manchester United, and Juventus.
He added three goals at the 2026 World Cup, becoming the first player ever to score at six different tournaments, before Portugal were eliminated by Croatia in the quarter-finals. At 41, the volume of matches he still plays every season is the single biggest reason his tally keeps climbing faster than anyone else in the sport.
The table tells a story of shifting momentum. In 2024, the older forward led clearly, and his heavier club and international schedule with two teams explains most of that gap. A year later, the tables turned emphatically, fuelled by an MLS Golden Boot season of 29 goals and a productive World Cup qualifying campaign.
Through mid-September 2026, the picture is closer still, and that includes the World Cup, where one scored eight and the other three.
| Year | Messi Goals | Ronaldo Goals |
| 2024 | 29 | 43 |
| 2025 | 46 | 41 |
| 2026 (to date) | 34 | 38 |
Across those three years combined, the older man’s tally of 106 still edges the younger man’s 102, though the margin keeps narrowing. One reflects sheer volume of matches played, the other sharper efficiency, a goal roughly every 104 minutes across a whole career against 0.73 per game in more than 1,300 appearances.
One player is almost certain to get there first, and by a wide margin. With only 21 needed and a scoring rate of 30 to 40 goals a season across club and country, the 2026-27 campaign is the likely window, with February 2027 flagged as the most realistic point, barring an especially prolific autumn.
The other would need two more full seasons of high-level output at 39 just to stay in touch, a target that gets harder with every passing year. No player in the sport’s history has ever officially reached four figures, and the Messi-Ronaldo race 1000 career goals now looks like Ronaldo’s to lose rather than a genuine contest between the two.
Does Ronaldo’s head start make this race already over, or can Messi still pull off the greater feat late in his career? Tell us your pick.
How many career goals does Messi have?
Messi has scored 929 official career goals as of 17 September 2026. His tally spans 672 at Barcelona, 32 at Paris Saint-Germain, 100 at Inter Miami, and 125 for the Argentina national team.
How many career goals does Ronaldo have?
Ronaldo has scored 979 official career goals as of 9 September 2026. He needs just 21 more to become the first player in history to reach four figures.
Who scored more goals in the 2026 calendar year?
The Argentine leads with 27 goals to 22 through mid-September 2026. That tally includes eight World Cup goals for Argentina compared to three scored by Ronaldo for Portugal.
What competition did Messi win in September 2026?
Messi won the Campeones Cup final with Inter Miami on 17 September 2026. Inter Miami beat Cruz Azul 2-0, with Messi netting his 100th goal for the club.
Which forward is projected to score his 1000th goal first?
Ronaldo is projected to become the first player to reach four figures. The National has flagged February 2027 as his most realistic window to do it.
cricket
football