Lionel Messi vs Cristiano Ronaldo

Messi has won more individual awards (8 Ballon d'Ors vs Ronaldo's 5) and a FIFA World Cup, while Ronaldo holds superior athleticism metrics and has scored more international goals (he is the all-time record international goalscorer). Their peak performances occurred in different eras, with Messi dominating the 2009-2015 period and Ronaldo excelling from 2013-2018.