The debate over which of the two greatest players of the modern era, Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo, performed better at the age of 38 continues to heat up discussions in the world of football. With Cristiano Ronaldo having turned 39 in February 2024, comparisons of their records at this age offer an interesting perspective on the longevity and evolution of both stars.
In his 38th year, Cristiano Ronaldo showed his goalscoring ability by finding the net 53 times, combining his games for Al-Nassr and the Portuguese national team. However, this period was also marked by less brilliant performances at Euro 2024, where the Portuguese striker went five games without scoring and saw Portugal eliminated in the quarter-finals.
On the other hand, Lionel Messi has shown remarkable ease in scoring goals at club level, also maintaining a high performance for the Argentine national team at 38 years old. He scored five goals in Argentina’s opening World Cup matches against Algeria and Austria, ensuring a promising start for the defending champions in their world title defense.
Messi’s greatness is often praised by his teammates, such as Lisandro Martinez, who stated that it is unnecessary to compare him to other players, as he is on a unique level. Martinez highlighted his pride in having Messi as a teammate and fellow countryman, emphasizing the need to value his presence in Argentine football.
Lionel Messi himself, in a recent interview, revealed that his current focus is more on enjoying the game and his active participation on the field than on the incessant search for statistics. According to the Argentine star, the obsession with numbers is a characteristic of modern times, but he prefers to be intensely involved in matches.
Reflecting on his career, the Inter Miami player cited years of great success, including Copa América finals and Champions League titles with Barcelona. Messi also recalled his impressive 91 goals in 2012, but reiterated that he never played for it, nor did he intend to break records or surpass other players with assists or goals.
For numbers enthusiasts, the cold analysis of statistics offers a detailed overview, regardless of personal preferences, allowing an objective comparison between the two football phenoms at the same stage of their careers.
Lionel Messi’s performance at 38
Upon reaching the age of 38, the Argentine star presented the following numbers:
- Games: 50
- Minutes played: 4234
- Goals: 50
- Assists: 30
- Contribution to goals: 80
- Penalties converted: 4
- Hat tricks: 2
- Fouls converted: 3
- Minutes per goal: 84.7
- Minutes per goal (without penalty): 92.0
- Minutes per goal or assist: 52.9
Cristiano Ronaldo statistics at age 38
In the same age group, the Portuguese star recorded the following impressive data:
- Games: 56
- Minutes played: 4914
- Goals: 53
- Assists: 15
- Goal contributions: 68
- Penalties converted: 14
- Hat tricks: 3
- Free kicks converted: 3
- Minutes per goal: 92.7
- Minutes per goal (without penalty): 126.0
- Minutes per goal or assist: 72.3