Comparing Lionel Messi’s first 80 games at Inter Miami with Cristiano Ronaldo’s at Al-Nassr
Lionel Messi has now made 80 appearances for Inter Miami, but how does his record compare with Cristiano Ronaldo‘s at Al-Nassr after the same number of games? We’ve crunched the numbers.
It’s safe to say that Messi has taken MLS by storm, having produced 100 goal contributions in his first 80 matches for Inter Miami.
The 38-year-old still looks sharp enough to play in Europe, but has been enjoying his time on the East Coast of the United States.
“In a footballing sense, what else is there to say? He’s the best player that has played this sport in its history, but what is surprising is his will to win,” Inter Miami head coach Javier Mascherano said.
“We know having him gives us an advantage, but above all, through his contagious spirit, the winning spirit that he has.”
Messi recently marked his 80th appearance for the club with a tremendous individual performance as he assisted three goals during Inter Miami’s 4-1 win against New England.
During his first 80 games for the club, Messi has scored 66 goals and produced 34 assists, meaning he’s produced 100 goal contributions in total.
Perhaps what’s most impressive about his goal tally is the fact that only three of them have come from the penalty spot. In fact, he’s scored twice as many free-kicks for Inter Miami, as he has penalties.
In comparison, Ronaldo scored 73 goals in his first 80 appearances for Al-Nassr, although 19 of those goals came from the penalty spot.
Therefore, while CR7 did score more goals than Messi in his first 80 games, Messi still has the edge when it comes to non-penalty goals.
When comparing their creative numbers, it won’t come as much of a surprise to learn that Messi comes out on top in that category.
Ronaldo produced 18 assists for Al-Nassr in his first 80 matches, which is 16 fewer than Messi has managed for Inter Miami.
Of course, given their ages, both players have been producing elite numbers since leaving Europe behind, but Messi does have a slight edge over Ronaldo in most of the categories.
In total, Messi has averaged a goal contribution every 64.8 minutes, while Ronaldo averaged a goal or assist every 77.6 minutes during his first 80 Al-Nassr games.
Here’s the full breakdown of how Messi’s first 80 games for Inter Miami compare with Ronaldo’s first 80 for Al-Nassr.
Messi Inter Miami record
Games: 80
Goals: 66
Assists: 34 ⭐
Goal contributions: 100 ⭐
Penalties: 3
Free-kicks: 6 ⭐
Minutes per goal: 98.2
Minutes per non-penalty goal: 102.8 ⭐
Minutes per goal or assist: 64.8 ⭐
Ronaldo Al-Nassr record
Games: 80
Goals: 73 ⭐
Assists: 18
Goal contributions: 91
Penalties: 19 ⭐
Free-kicks: 5
Minutes per goal: 96.7 ⭐
Minutes per non-penalty goal: 130.8
Minutes per goal or assist: 77.6
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