A leading mathematics professor at the Oxford University Dr.Tom Crawford, in conjunction with LiveScore, has come up with football’s Greatest Of All Time (GOAT) index.
Cristiano Ronaldo was given a score of 100%, with Messi, Pele, Ferenc Puskas and Ronaldo Nazario making up the top five, out of players who have won two or more Ballon d’Ors.
Seven criteria were used to crown Ronaldo as the Greatest of All Time (GOAT) and they include; Club goals and titles, international goals and titles, Ballon d’Or titles, individual honours and milestones and finally ‘Z-factor’ seasons.
Z-factor seasons refer to seasons on the pitch where players performed significantly ahead of others from five seasons.
Cristiano Ronaldo has more individual honors and has achieved the following milestones;
- Most international hat-trick goals (9) while Messi has 6.
- Most FIFA World Cups scored in (4 thus, 2006, 2010, 2014 and 2018) while Messi has scored in 2006, 2014 and 2018.
- Oldest player to score a hat-trick at FIFA World Cup, at the age of 33 years and 130 days.
- Only player to score in 11 successive international tournaments:
However, Messi leads the way with 6 Ballon D’or whiles Ronaldo has 5.
Cristiano Ronaldo has scored 674 club goals in 897 games, in all competitions, but his closest rival, Messi, is ahead of him with less games, having scored 683 times in 811 matches.
Lionel Messi leads the way with 35 club trophies while Ronaldo has 30. Internationally, Cristiano Ronaldo has 111 goals while Messi has 76.
Both players have won an international trophy, with Ronaldo winning the EURO in 2016 and Messi winning the Copa America earlier this year.