Assists (Opta™ criteria) given by Messi vs Ronaldo before turning 30 years old
Opta stands out as the most reliable statistics hub and serves as the de facto ‘official’ statistics provider in football. They furnish data to esteemed platforms such as the BBC, the Premier League, WhoScored, Squawka, and numerous other prominent media outlets.
Below is Opta’s interpretation of an assist:
The final touch (pass, pass-cum-shot or any other touch) leading to the recipient of the ball scoring a goal. If the final touch is deflected by an opposition player, the initiator is only given a goal assist if the receiving player was likely to receive the ball without the deflection having taken place. Own goals, directly taken free kicks, direct corner goals and penalties do not get an assist awarded.
Cumulative distribution
| Period | Lionel Messi | Cristiano Ronaldo | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2002/2003 | 0 | 4 | -4 |
| 2003/2004 | 0 | 13 | -13 |
| 2004/2005 | 0 | 25 | -25 |
| 2005/2006 | 6 | 35 | -29 |
| 2006/2007 | 11 | 51 | -40 |
| 2007/2008 | 27 | 59 | -32 |
| 2008/2009 | 46 | 68 | -22 |
| 2009/2010 | 58 | 79 | -21 |
| 2010/2011 | 87 | 97 | -10 |
| 2011/2012 | 121 | 114 | +7 |
| 2012/2013 | 139 | 128 | +11 |
| 2013/2014 | 155 | 143 | +12 |
| 2014/2015 | 186 | 155 | +31 |
| 2015/2016 | 213 | 155 | +58 |
| 2016/2017 | 231 | 155 | +76 |
Assists type
| Player | Games | Cross | Corner | Throughball | Free kick | Others | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Leo Messi | 734 | 31/289 | 10.73% | 11/289 | 3.81% | 99/289 | 34.26% | 15/289 | 5.19% | 153/289 | 52.94% |
| Cristiano Ronaldo | 649 | 15/148 | 10.14% | 0/148 | 0% | 17/148 | 11.49% | 2/148 | 1.35% | 116/148 | 78.38% |
Source: Opta™ Sports – Last update: 10/11/2026
Distribution by season
| Period | Lionel Messi | Cristiano Ronaldo | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2002/2003 | 4 | -4 | |
| 2003/2004 | 9 | -9 | |
| 2004/2005 | 12 | -12 | |
| 2005/2006 | 6 | 10 | -4 |
| 2006/2007 | 5 | 16 | -11 |
| 2007/2008 | 16 | 8 | +8 |
| 2008/2009 | 19 | 9 | +10 |
| 2009/2010 | 12 | 11 | +1 |
| 2010/2011 | 29 | 18 | +11 |
| 2011/2012 | 34 | 17 | +17 |
| 2012/2013 | 18 | 14 | +4 |
| 2013/2014 | 16 | 15 | +1 |
| 2014/2015 | 31 | 12 | +19 |
| 2015/2016 | 27 | +27 | |
| 2016/2017 | 18 | +18 |
Assists (Opta™ criteria) given by Messi vs Ronaldo before turning 30 years old: key facts
Who has more assists, Messi or Ronaldo?
Messi has provided 231 assists and Ronaldo 155 assists. Messi is ahead by 76. Messi gives an assist every 245 minutes and Ronaldo every 365 minutes, so Messi creates for his teammates 49% more often.
Data updated on 10/11/2026.
Cache date: 11-11-2026 04:17:42