Soccer has two superstars, one is a magician who dodges defenders with ease, and the other is like a rocket blasting goals from anywhere. They battled for years—not just for trophies, but to win fans’ affection. They scored tons of goals, won tons of titles, and even won famous award called the Ballon d’Or. If one performs better today, the other performs better tomorrow. They kept crossing paths throughout the years.
While doing so, they made each other even better, like fierce training partners. Who was more amazing, and who scored more attractive goals? People argue endlessly. They still do.
Ronaldo edges ahead of Lionel Messi
The enduring rivalry between the two goats on the field is always exciting to follow. It feels like every day brings a new twist, especially with Ronaldo surpassing Lionel Messi’s tally of the most non-penalty goals after scoring against Al-Fateh on Saturday. Ronaldo has now scored a total of 815 goals, with 715 of them being non-penalty goals, which edges him ahead of Lionel Messi. Messi, on the other hand, has 800 goals, with 714 being non-penalty goals.
Nevertheless, Messi can change this tally as the new season of the MLS will start next week. Although both players have passed their prime, their rivalry still remains intact on today’s date. The Al-Nassr superstar Ronaldo cherished his victory and expressed his joy by sharing a tweet on X.
Predicting Ronaldos end of the season goal tally
According to the Transfermarkt, with the goal against Al-Fateh, Ronaldo has now scored back-to-back goals in the last 6 games, scored a total of 26 goals, and provided 11 assists this season across all competitions.
He has started eighteen games for Al-Nassr in the Saudi Pro League, while playing a total of 1706 minutes, scoring 21 goals and 9 assists. Ronaldo scores an average of 1.11 goals for every 90 minutes and an average of 1.24 goals while playing for Portugal. He has an average of 1.58 G+A for playing every 90 minutes on the pitch.
Based on his current form and stats, his xG in the rest of the season would be 17 xG in 15 matches and a total of 36 xG for the whole season, which will again be a record-breaking season for Cristiano Ronaldo. He would also have a total of 54 xG+A at the end of the season.
The never-ending goat debate will surely take a new turn tomorrow. But sometimes we should just take a step away from the debate and just enjoy the last dance of the two goats.
