Messi has 774 goals to his name at club and international level combined, while Pele is believed to have 762 - a figure that continues to be disputed to this very day, including by the man himself, who believes he has over 1,000.
Who is the football god of all time? Pele, the legendary Brazilian footballer, is considered the football god of all time. No player has won more world cups (3) than him.
With Ronaldo on the ground, the game becomes faster, stronger, physical, and more dynamic than ever. Ronaldo's combination of physical and technical attributes might give him an edge over in this Ronaldo vs Messi battle. Ronaldo is regarded as one of the greatest footballers of all time.
Maradona – 1
There is very little between Pele and Maradona when it comes to individual awards. Both players won the World Cup Golden Ball, as they both were the best players from their, team.
Pele won the World Cup three times, in 1958, 1962 and 1970, a football milestone no other player has yet achieved. In 2000, Fifa named Pele as the player of the century along with Argentina's Diego Maradona, who died in 2020 at 60.
While Ronaldo currently has more goals overall, Messi has the edge in the scoring department, with a higher season average (37.9 to 35), having hit a high of 73 goals in 2011-12, though his average dropped after a disappointing maiden campaign at PSG in 2021-22.
Argentine superstar Lionel Messi is regarded as the king of dribbling skills in football.
Pelé: King of the World Cup
Pelé managed to raise three World Cup trophies with Brazil, finishing with victories in Sweden 1958, Chile 1962 and Mexico 1970. Maradona won one World Cup throughout his career, although behind him there is a memorable performance in Mexico 1986.
According to FIFA, they currently look like this: Pele – 77 goals. Neymar – 77 goals* Ronaldo – 62 goals.
Pele played in four World Cups, winning three times, a record not yet beaten and giving him one more than Maradona and Messi combined. He was just 17 in 1958 when he was world champion in Sweden, scoring six goals, two in the final.
As mentioned, Pele's official goal record, recognised by FIFA and the Guinness Book of World Records is 1281 goals.
Ronaldo is the current top scorer in the history of football with 819 goals for club and country. Messi is not too far behind. The 35-year-old Argentine superstar has scored 795 goals. However, Pele won three World Cups, where he has the bragging rights over the superstar duo.
Mbappe tops the league scoring charts with 13 goals and Messi is tied with PSG teammate Neymar for the most assists (10). Mbappe is co-top scorer in the Champions League with seven goals, while Messi again heads the assists chart with four.
Brazilian legend Pele is widely regarded as the greatest footballer of all time. No player has won more World Cups than him, and that alone should be enough to justify the Brazilian's inclusion at the top of this list. Goalscorer supreme, Pele was also the focal point of attack for club and country.
Who is the better player? Messi no doubt, but Neymar does come close, however not too close. Messi turns 35 this year and Neymar turns 30. Messi is in the twilight of his career while Neymar is in his prime.
An analysis of the players' statistics reveals that Ronaldo was labelled the undisputed GOAT of soccer with the most overall goals, Champions League goals, club goals and assists, and international caps and goals.
Lionel Messi is often considered the GOAT of football, following his exploits with Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain and Argentina.
Lionel Messi and Erling Haaland are the Ballon d'Or 2023 favourites. Lionel Messi and Erling Haaland are the leading contenders for the 2022-23 season. While record-time winner Messi is still a contender, his long-time Ballon d'Or rival Cristiano Ronaldo is already out of the picture.
THE BIGGER PICTURE: Pele was regarded as one of the greatest players of all time and labelled "the greatest" by Fifa. He was part of the Brazilian national teams that won three World Cup trophies in (1958, 1962, and 1970).
Yes, Pelé was the greatest ever. As he was ailing in a Sao Paolo hospital a month ago while the big show that he'd helped define grabbed the world's attention in Qatar, Pelé was described variously in some media outlets as a Brazilian legend. A few “generously” called him one of the greatest footballers in history.
This means that once the club and the international stages come together and the calculators are whipped out, across their careers, Ronaldo has scored more than Messi and Pele. He has notched 819 times, with Pele sat on 786 and Messi bagging on 793 occasions.