Cristiano Ronaldo will not be able to beat Lionel Messi's new record

T he rivalry between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo reopens an old dispute over who is the best of the two legends.

And while many fans are swayed by their personalities, training methods, or number of titles, others seek to compare them statistically. As they approach the final stretch of their careers, Leo has just set a record that CR7 will find difficult to beat, but the Portuguese star is not far behind.

Messi shines in MLS, but CR7 does the same in Saudi Arabia

November 23 will be remembered by soccer fans as a great day in sports.

In a match against Al Khaleej on the ninth day of the Saudi Arabian League , Cristiano Ronaldo put on a real show and proved that he is still going strong at 40 years old. With a bicycle kick goal , he sealed the deal for his rivals and added the final goal to his team's 4-1 victory.

Hours later, it was Lionel's turn. Playing in the semifinals of the 2025 MLS Playoffs , Inter Miami sealed a 4-0 victory over FC Cincinnati , with the Argentine captain contributing one goal and three assists . In doing so, he led the team to the Eastern Conference Final while adding another record to his career.

With six goals and six assists, Messi became the player with the most goal contributions (12) in a single edition of the MLS Playoffs , something that CR7 is unlikely to achieve. And not for lack of talent .

The real reason is that, having signed a contract with Al Nassr for another two years until June 2027, at 42 years of age, he is unlikely to decide to play in the US league and snatch this achievement from Leo. Although with him, you never know .

Meanwhile, Cristiano and Al Nassr are preparing to face FC Istiklol Dushanbe on the fifth matchday of the AFC Cup group stage.

On the other hand, Leo and Inter Miami will host New York City FC in the final on Saturday, November 29, at 6 p.m. ET.