A thread: Why Messi is superior to Ronaldo internationally (like and rt to end the myth https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="🙌" title="Raising hands" aria-label="Emoji: Raising hands">) https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="🐐" title="Ziege" aria-label="Emoji: Ziege">https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="🐐" title="Ziege" aria-label="Emoji: Ziege">

Let’s compare the two in the World Cup.
More goals? https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="🇵🇹" title="Flagge von Portugal" aria-label="Emoji: Flagge von Portugal">
More G/A? https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="🇦🇷" title="Flagge von Argentinien" aria-label="Emoji: Flagge von Argentinien">
More KO G/A? https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="🇦🇷" title="Flagge von Argentinien" aria-label="Emoji: Flagge von Argentinien">
More MOTM’s? https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="🇦🇷" title="Flagge von Argentinien" aria-label="Emoji: Flagge von Argentinien"> (most in one tournament ever)
More Awards? https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="🇦🇷" title="Flagge von Argentinien" aria-label="Emoji: Flagge von Argentinien">
More chances created? https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="🇦🇷" title="Flagge von Argentinien" aria-label="Emoji: Flagge von Argentinien">
More dribbles completed? https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="🇦🇷" title="Flagge von Argentinien" aria-label="Emoji: Flagge von Argentinien">
More matches won? https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="🇦🇷" title="Flagge von Argentinien" aria-label="Emoji: Flagge von Argentinien">

How about the Copa America / Euro’s?
More goals? https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="🇦🇷" title="Flagge von Argentinien" aria-label="Emoji: Flagge von Argentinien">=https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="🇵🇹" title="Flagge von Portugal" aria-label="Emoji: Flagge von Portugal">
More G/A? https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="🇦🇷" title="Flagge von Argentinien" aria-label="Emoji: Flagge von Argentinien">
More KO G/A? https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="🇦🇷" title="Flagge von Argentinien" aria-label="Emoji: Flagge von Argentinien">
More MOTM’s? https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="🇦🇷" title="Flagge von Argentinien" aria-label="Emoji: Flagge von Argentinien">
More Awards? https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="🇦🇷" title="Flagge von Argentinien" aria-label="Emoji: Flagge von Argentinien">
More chances created? https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="🇦🇷" title="Flagge von Argentinien" aria-label="Emoji: Flagge von Argentinien">
More dribbles completed? https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="🇦🇷" title="Flagge von Argentinien" aria-label="Emoji: Flagge von Argentinien">
More matches won? https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="🇦🇷" title="Flagge von Argentinien" aria-label="Emoji: Flagge von Argentinien">

Interestingly, Messi has won an MVP award in every type international tournament he’s played in, and Ronaldo’s not only won none but hasn’t even been selected for the top 10 shortlist for the WC golden ball (Messi has twice).

2018 was Messi’s worst WC performance-wise and he still managed 2 more G/A in KO games than Ronaldo has in his entire career, and against the World Champions to be, France.

Ronaldo’s done nothing in a final that Messi hasn’t and yet came away with 1 more major NT trophy than Messi, it‘s clear this was the result of their respective supporting casts. While Eder scored bangers in finals, Higuain and Palacio among others missed sitters.

Here is a comparison of Messi and Ronaldo’s ratings in 4 Intl finals. In Messi’s case, 2015 and 2016 Copa America (both lost on pk’s) and in Ronaldo’s, the 2016 Euro’s and 2019 Nation’s league (the latter isn’t a major trophy but serves its purpose) It’s clear who was better...

So Ronaldo, despite playing considerably worse than Messi in both of his finals, still came away with the titles. This in itself confirms the idea that in an 11v11 sport like football, collective achievements shouldn’t be the most important place of comparison among individuals.

So, when you compare their individual performances in major tournaments, Ronaldo comes out on top on goals scored in the World Cup (by one), which is to be expected given Messi’s more creative role for Argentina, shown by his increased assist to goal ratio.

Messi contributes to more goals, creates more chances, earns more MOTM’s and MVP awards, is given higher ratings and wins more matches. If you consider their performances Messi is clearly ahead.

Just to add, for those who will mention the penalty miss in 2016, it was cancelled out by Vidal’s miss and still Arg lost 4-2. In the 2015 final, Messi did score his penalty and still they lost (every one of his teammates missed).

End of thread, likes and rt’s appreciated https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="🙏" title="Folded hands" aria-label="Emoji: Folded hands">