The Messi vs Ronaldo debate has been ongoing now for almost 15 years and we are extremely lucky to have been graced with two footballers of such talent in the same era.
Whenever a question about one player is asked, the other nearly always features in the answer.
Has Ronaldo scored more goals than Messi? Is Messi faster than Ronaldo? Who has won more trophies, Messi or Ronaldo?
It is that last question we are going to take a look at today.
So let’s get started.
Who Has Won More Trophies Messi Or Ronaldo?
Lionel Messi has 51 major trophies in comparison to Cristiano Ronaldo’s 43. They both have 11 individual trophies, but Messi is given the edge by the number of trophies he has won for club and country – he has 40 compared to 32 for Cristiano Ronaldo.
Putting together a list of trophies these two players have won was not easy as they have won so many, and there is always the question of what do we include in the list and what don’t we?
I have to say a big thank you to this wonderful piece on the Planet Football website, which I used as the basis for my article.
So who has more trophies between Messi and Ronaldo?
Team Trophies: Lionel Messi
Domestic:
- La Liga: 10 (2004-05, 2005-06, 2008-09, 2009-10, 2010-11, 2012-13, 2014-15, 2015-16, 2017-18, 2018-19)
- Ligue 1: 1 (2021-22)
- Copa Del Rey: 7 (2008-09, 2011-12, 2014-15, 2015-16, 2016-17, 2017-18, 2020-21)
- Spanish Super Cup: 8 (2006, 2007, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2014, 2017, 2019)
European:
- Champions League: 4 (2005-06, 2008-09, 2010-11, 2014-15)
- UEFA Super Cup: 3 (2009, 2011, 2015)
Other:
- FIFA Club World Cup: 3 (2009, 2011, 2015)
Lionel Messi Domestic Trophies Total: 36
International
- Finalissima: 1 (2022)
- Copa America: 1 (2021)
- Olympics: 1 (2009)
- World Cup: (2022)
Lionel Messi International Trophies Total: 4
LIONEL MESSI TOTAL TEAM TROPHIES: 40
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Team Trophies: Cristiano Ronaldo
Domestic:
- Premier League: 3 (2006-07, 2007-08, 2008-09)
- La Liga: 2 (2011-12, 2016-17)
- Serie A: 2 (2018-19, 2019-20)
- English League Cup: 2 (2005-06, 2008-09)
- FA Cup: 1 (2003-04)
- Copa Del Rey: 2 (2010-11, 2013-14)
- Coppa Italia: 1 (2020-21)
- Portuguese Super Cup: 1 (2002)
- Community Shield: 1 (2007)
- Spanish Super Cup: 2 (2013, 2018)
- Italian Super Cup: 2 (2019, 2021)
European:
- European Champions League: 5 (2007-08, 2013-14, 2015-16, 2016-17, 2017-18)
- UEFA Super Cup: 2 (2014, 2017)
Other:
- FIFA Club World Cup: 4 (2008, 2014, 2016, 2017)
Cristiano Ronaldo Domestic Trophies Total: 30
International
- UEFA European Championship: 1 (2016)
- UEFA Nations League: 1 (2019)
Cristiano Ronaldo International Trophies Total: 2
CRISTIANO RONALDO TOTAL TEAM TROPHIES: 32
Team Trophies Conclusion:
So as you can see, Messi and Ronaldo both have very impressive trophies counts when it comes to the teams they have played for, but Messi is in the lead.
Where Ronaldo does have the upper hand is in the Champions League, with 5 titles to Messi’s 4 and his collection of domestic league titles from different countries.
Ronaldo has won league titles in England, Italy and Spain, whereas Messi has just won titles in Spain and France.
Messi has the slight edge in trophies at an international level having helped Argentina to the newly created Finalissima title in June 2022.
Individual Trophies: Lionel Messi
- Ballon d’Or: 7 (2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2019, 2021)
- FIFA World Player of the Year/The Best FIFA Men’s Player: 2 (2009, 2019)
- UEFA Best Player in Europe: 2 (2011, 2015)
LIONEL MESSI TOTAL INDIVIDUAL TROPHIES: 11
Individual Trophies: Cristiano Ronaldo
- Ballon d’Or: 5 (2008, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2017)
- FIFA World Player of the Year/The Best FIFA Men’s Player: 3 (2008, 2016, 2017)
- UEFA Best Player in Europe: 3 (2014, 2016, 2017)
CRISTIANO RONALDO TOTAL INDIVIDUAL TROPHIES: 11
Individual Trophies Conclusion:
So when it comes to the main individual awards it is a tie overall.
But we would probably have to give it to Messi on a tiebreak on account of his record-breaking number of Ballon d’Or wins.
That said both Messi and Ronaldo are streets ahead of any other player in history in the Ballon d’Or.
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Messi has finished in the top two in the award 12 times (7 x 1st place and 5 x 2nd place) and Ronaldo has finished in the top two 11 times (5 x 1st place and 6 x 2nd place).
Other than that only one player has ever finished in the top two in the Ballon d’Or more than three times – Franz Beckenbauer who won it in 1972 and 1976 and was runner-up in 1974 and 1975.
Overall Trophies
Lionel Messi
- Team Trophies: 40
- Individual Trophies: 11
LIONEL MESSI TOTAL TROPHIES: 51
Cristiano Ronaldo
- Team Trophies: 32
- Individual Trophies: 11
CRISTIANO RONALDO TOTAL TROPHIES: 43
So Messi takes the honours overall with an incredible 50 trophies, with Ronaldo just behind on 43.
Either way they are two of the most decorated and most talented footballers in the history of the game.
Which Footballer Has Won The Most Trophies?
The footballer with the most trophies (excluding individual trophies) is the Brazilian full-back Dani Alves.
Alves has won an amazing 43 trophies in a career that started at Brazilian club Bahia in 2001 and is still going as of today (June 2022).
He has won trophies at Bahia, Sevilla, Barcelona (in two spells), Juventus, Paris Saint-Germain, Sao Paulo and Brazil.
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Alves is 39 and still going strong having spent the 2021-22 season playing for Barcelona (and Brazil), so there might still be a few more trophies left in him yet.
Messi heads a group of players just behind Alves, but is the only one still playing so could surpass Alves at some point.
Final Thoughts
Lionel Messi has won more trophies than Cristiano Ronaldo, but both of their trophy hauls are incredible.
Obviously this doesn’t prove he is a better player, as that is a totally subjective debate, but the facts and trophy figures are there to see.
Ronaldo certainly has had more success in more countries, but Messi has more Ballon d’Ors.
And both are still likely to win a few more trophies yet.
Either way, two unbelievable talents we might never see the like of again.
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