Cristiano Ronaldo vs Lionel Messi: Which superstar ranks above the other in FIFA ratings history after latest EA FC 24 reveal?

Lionel Messi is rated above Cristiano Ronaldo in EA Sports' first installment of their annual football title since severing ties with FIFA.

This is continuing the trend of the last four EA Sports FIFA titles, where the Argentine superstar had a higher overall rating. FIFA 19 was the last time Ronaldo wasn't rated lower than his rival, with both players receiving a 94 rating.

Ronaldo had the upper hand in FIFA 17 and FIFA 18, receiving a 94 rating while the seven-time Ballon d'Or was rated 93. Messi, however, led the overall ratings in the seven FIFA editions before FIFA 17.

From FIFA 04 to 09, the 38-year-old Al-Nassr superstar had the upper hand, although Messi was only introduced in the game in FIFA 06, where he had a 78 rating. EA FC 24 is the first title where neither Messi or Ronaldo will be the highest-rated player in the game.

Here is a table that summarizes the two players' ratings over the last 20 years:

TITLE	CRISTIANO RONALDO	LIONEL MESSI
FIFA 04	80	N/A
FIFA 05	88	N/A
FIFA 06	91	78
FIFA 07	87	84
FIFA 08	91	86
FIFA 09	91	90
FIFA 10	89	90
FIFA 11	89	90
FIFA 12	92	94
FIFA 13	92	94
FIFA 14	92	94
FIFA 15	92	93
FIFA 16	93	94
FIFA 17	94	93
FIFA 18	94	93
FIFA 19	94	94
FIFA 20	93	94
FIFA 21	92	93
FIFA 22	91	93
FIFA 23	90	91
EA FC 24	86	90
TOTAL	8	12

Erling Haaland is the cover star of EA FC 24 and is also the highest-rated player alongside Kevin de Bruyne and Kylian Mbappe, with all three players rated at 91. Barcelona Femini's Alexia Putellas also has a 91 rating, with EA now allowing players to use female players alongside their male counterparts on the same pitch.

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Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo both get one-game rest during international break

Lionel Messi (36) and Cristiano Ronaldo (38) continue to be key players for Argentina and Portugal, respectively.

The Argentine superstar played 89 minutes against Ecuador on 8 September in the CONMEBOL FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifier. He scored the only goal of the game but was substituted in the dying embers of the match due to fatigue.

Lionel Scaloni dropped him from La Albiceleste's matchday squad in his team's 3-0 win against Bolivia in the dizzying heights of La Paz. He travelled with the squad but did not play against his favorite international opponents, against whom he has scored a personal best eight goals.

Ronaldo, meanwhile, picked up a booking in Portugal's 1-0 UEFA Euro 2024 qualifying win against Slovakia on 7 September. As a result, he was suspended for his team's 9-0 thrashing of Luxembourg four days later.

Coincidentally, Ronaldo has scored more goals against Luxembourg (11) than he has against any other country. He has now returned to Al-Nassr, where he will be hoping to captain his team in the league fixture against Al-Raed on 16 September.