Cristiano Ronaldo vs Lionel Messi: Who has spent most time on sidelines with injuries?
(Courtesy : Getty)
Despite plenty of injuries, both stars have been consistent in their career.
Lionel Messi scored a goal against LA Galaxy on Saturday night in MLS 2025 to make his Inter Miami comeback after over two weeks off. In a Leagues Cup match against Necaxa, the Argentine forward sustained a small muscle injury, but he has since fully healed.
However, the matter raises the question: has he been injured for a longer time than Cristiano Ronaldo?
Including the muscular ailment he sustained this month, Messi has missed 915 days of action overall from 2004 to 2025 as a result of injuries. Approximately 12.05% of his playing career has been in that capacity.
When did Lionel Messi suffer his first injury?
The Argentine star’s first injury was a hamstring strain that held him out of action for 11 days during the 2005–06 season with Barcelona in February 2006. After that, Lionel Messi has missed 196 games due to 53 different ailments over the years.
A bright spot for the Portuguese great is that Cristiano Ronaldo’s injury statistics are much lower than Lionel Messi’s. According to Transfermarkt, CR7 has missed 482 days of play due to 29 separate injuries over his career, which accounts for just 5.76% of his total playing time. The forward missed 85 games over that time.
Who has missed the most games with injuries?
The statistics are unmistakable: across his career, Cristiano Ronaldo has experienced a lot fewer physical problems than Messi. Cristiano has missed far fewer games and less than half as much time as his old adversary, Messi, despite having made his professional debut two years earlier.
Ronaldo and Messi, however, have about the same average recovery time per injury. The average recovery time for the Portuguese forward has been 16.6 days, whilst the average recovery time for the Argentine star has been 17.2 days.
Have Cristiano Ronaldo or Lionel Messi suffered any serious injury?
Messi has sustained 53 injuries throughout his professional career, but one is very severe. Lionel missed 88 days of action between November 2006 and February 2007 because of a broken fifth metatarsal in his left foot. He missed 28 games for Barcelona and Argentina as a result of that injury.
The most serious of Cristiano Ronaldo’s 29 injuries also occurred in his early professional career. He had ankle surgery during the 2008–09 season, which kept him out for 71 days.
However, CR7 only missed eight games for Manchester United and Portugal because a large portion of that time was spent in the summer, which ran from July to September 2008.
Cristiano Ronaldo’s injury record
(stats via TransferMarkt)
Lionel Messi’s injury record
(Stats via Transfermarkt)
Which injury kept Messi out for a long time?
When he suffered a broken fifth metatarsal in his left foot, it kept him out for 88 days.
Which injury kept Ronaldo out for a long time?
It was an ankle injury, which kept him out for 71 days.
Who has been injured more often between Messi and Ronaldo?
Messi has been injured more often, missing 915 days compared to Ronaldo’s 482 days.
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After earning a bachelor's degree in mass media, Rajarshi began his career as a sports writer in 2019, driven by his passion for sports journalism. He has been working in the field for over six years. A devoted fan of Lionel Messi and Barcelona, Rajarshi has been involved in sports since childhood. Before turning his focus to journalism, he even represented his college at the state level. Along with covering football, he enjoys playing the game, watching movies, and experimenting with new recipes in his spare time, as cooking is one of his favorite hobbies.
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