Assists (Transfermarkt™ criteria) given by Messi vs Ronaldo
Transfermarkt‘s criteria is more lenient in their concept of assists. They include deflected passes, rebounded shots, penalties earned, and passes or shots leading to an own goal.
In this section, we use that criterion, although the figures on Transfermarkt may differ, as they are quite inconsistent in gathering assists.
Cumulative distribution
| Period | Lionel Messi | Cristiano Ronaldo | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2002/2003 | 0 | 5 | -5 |
| 2003/2004 | 0 | 17 | -17 |
| 2004/2005 | 0 | 31 | -31 |
| 2005/2006 | 9 | 43 | -34 |
| 2006/2007 | 17 | 67 | -50 |
| 2007/2008 | 39 | 78 | -39 |
| 2008/2009 | 60 | 90 | -30 |
| 2009/2010 | 78 | 106 | -28 |
| 2010/2011 | 112 | 127 | -15 |
| 2011/2012 | 153 | 144 | +9 |
| 2012/2013 | 175 | 160 | +15 |
| 2013/2014 | 194 | 178 | +16 |
| 2014/2015 | 231 | 201 | +30 |
| 2015/2016 | 259 | 219 | +40 |
| 2016/2017 | 284 | 233 | +51 |
| 2017/2018 | 310 | 244 | +66 |
| 2018/2019 | 335 | 257 | +78 |
| 2019/2020 | 364 | 266 | +98 |
| 2020/2021 | 387 | 274 | +113 |
| 2021/2022 | 406 | 278 | +128 |
| 2022/2023 | 439 | 284 | +155 |
| 2023/2024 | 458 | 301 | +157 |
| 2024/2025 | 487 | 307 | +180 |
| 2025/2026 | 511 | 313 | +198 |
Distribution by season
| Period | Lionel Messi | Cristiano Ronaldo | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2002/2003 | 5 | -5 | |
| 2003/2004 | 12 | -12 | |
| 2004/2005 | 14 | -14 | |
| 2005/2006 | 9 | 12 | -3 |
| 2006/2007 | 8 | 24 | -16 |
| 2007/2008 | 22 | 11 | +11 |
| 2008/2009 | 21 | 12 | +9 |
| 2009/2010 | 18 | 16 | +2 |
| 2010/2011 | 34 | 21 | +13 |
| 2011/2012 | 41 | 17 | +24 |
| 2012/2013 | 22 | 16 | +6 |
| 2013/2014 | 19 | 18 | +1 |
| 2014/2015 | 37 | 23 | +14 |
| 2015/2016 | 28 | 18 | +10 |
| 2016/2017 | 25 | 14 | +11 |
| 2017/2018 | 26 | 11 | +15 |
| 2018/2019 | 25 | 13 | +12 |
| 2019/2020 | 29 | 9 | +20 |
| 2020/2021 | 23 | 8 | +15 |
| 2021/2022 | 19 | 4 | +15 |
| 2022/2023 | 33 | 6 | +27 |
| 2023/2024 | 19 | 17 | +2 |
| 2024/2025 | 29 | 6 | +23 |
| 2025/2026 | 24 | 6 | +18 |
Assists (Transfermarkt™ criteria) given by Messi vs Ronaldo: key facts
Who has more assists, Messi or Ronaldo?
Messi has provided 428 assists and Ronaldo 261 assists. Messi is ahead by 167. Messi gives an assist every 228 minutes and Ronaldo every 421 minutes, so Messi creates for his teammates 85% more often.
Data updated on 01/11/2026.
Cache date: 05-11-2026 11:25:35