Cristiano Ronaldo vs Lionel Messi: Golden Boot comparison

Both forwards continue to remain top players in their respective leagues.

After finishing the regular 2025 MLS season with 29 goals, Lionel Messi won another Golden Boot. But how does his collection compare to that of his greatest adversary, Cristiano Ronaldo, who himself defined an era?

After leaving FC Barcelona, the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner has earned his first Golden Boot. Carlos Vela (34), Josef Martínez (31), and Zlatan Ibrahimovic (30) are the only three players in MLS history who have recorded more goals in a regular season.

Meanwhile, after abandoning European football in 2023, Ronaldo has gone on to win the two Golden Boots himself.

Head-to-head Golden Boot race in LaLiga

Between 2009 and 2018, Ronaldo and Messi were direct rivals playing for Real Madrid and Barcelona, respectively, for nine seasons that defined their careers.

The Argentine earned his first Golden Boot in a league campaign where Ronaldo was in his first season with Los Blancos. His 34 goals that season put him seven goals ahead of his nearest rival, Gonzalo Higuain, and his stats really took off. With 26 goals that season, Ronaldo came in third place.

However, Ronaldo would later go on to take home three Pichichi (LaLiga’s Golden Boot), including a career-high 48 goals in the league during Messi’s treble-winning season (2014–15) with Barcelona.

• Lionel Messi – 5 (2009−10, 2011–12, 2012−13, 2016–17, 2017−18)
• Cristiano Ronaldo – 3 (2010–11, 2013–14, 2014–15)

European Golden Shoes

Six of Messi’s eight Golden Shoe wins in LaLiga additionally resulted in him clinching the European Golden Shoe for most goals netted across Europe’s top five leagues.

However, at the latter end of his time at Barcelona, he couldn’t dominate the European Golden Shoe race. Immobile outscored him in 2019–20, while Robert Lewandowski beat him after establishing the Bundesliga single-season record with 41 goals in 2020–21.

Meanwhile, Ronaldo lifted the European Golden Shoes in four of his five wins, in the Premier League in 2007-08, besides the three he won in LaLiga.

• Lionel Messi – 6 (2009–10, 2011–12, 2012–13, 2016–17, 2017–18, 2018–19)
• Cristiano Ronaldo – 4 (2007–08, 2010–11, 2013–14, 2014–15)

Golden Boots after leaving Europe

Messi’s first half-season after arriving in 2023 saw him play in just six MLS games.

After scoring 20 goals in just 19 games during his first full season, he would have been in the race, but injuries and a decrease in playing time caused him to finish three goals short of Christian Benteke.

At the age of 38, the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner earned his first MLS Golden Boot by playing more games in 2025 while keeping a better goal-per-game average.

In his first half-season with Al-Nassr, Ronaldo scored 14 goals in 16 Saudi Pro League games, but even he was unable to narrow the gap as his rivals had established a significant lead.

However, the veteran scored 35 goals in 2023–24 and 25 goals in 2024–25, earning him the Golden Boot in both of his complete two seasons in Saudi Arabia.

• Lionel Messi – MLS – 1 (2025)
• Cristiano Ronaldo – Saudi Pro League – 2 (2023–24, 2024–25)

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