Assists (Opta™ criteria) given by Messi vs Ronaldo
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 | 164 | +22 |
| 2015/2016 | 213 | 181 | +32 |
| 2016/2017 | 231 | 194 | +37 |
| 2017/2018 | 252 | 205 | +47 |
| 2018/2019 | 272 | 215 | +57 |
| 2019/2020 | 298 | 220 | +78 |
| 2020/2021 | 315 | 227 | +88 |
| 2021/2022 | 331 | 231 | +100 |
| 2022/2023 | 361 | 236 | +125 |
| 2023/2024 | 379 | 252 | +127 |
| 2024/2025 | 407 | 257 | +150 |
| 2025/2026 | 428 | 261 | +167 |
| 2026/2027 | 428 | 261 | +167 |
Assists type
| Player | Games | Cross | Corner | Throughball | Free kick | Others | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Leo Messi | 732 | 31/288 | 10.76% | 11/288 | 3.82% | 99/288 | 34.38% | 15/288 | 5.21% | 152/288 | 52.78% |
| 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: 01/11/2026
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 | 21 | +10 |
| 2015/2016 | 27 | 17 | +10 |
| 2016/2017 | 18 | 13 | +5 |
| 2017/2018 | 21 | 11 | +10 |
| 2018/2019 | 20 | 10 | +10 |
| 2019/2020 | 26 | 5 | +21 |
| 2020/2021 | 17 | 7 | +10 |
| 2021/2022 | 16 | 4 | +12 |
| 2022/2023 | 30 | 5 | +25 |
| 2023/2024 | 18 | 16 | +2 |
| 2024/2025 | 28 | 5 | +23 |
| 2025/2026 | 21 | 4 | +17 |
| 2026/2027 | 0 |
Assists (Opta™ 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: 03-11-2026 20:23:56