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French news outlet Maxifoot had recently hosted a survey asking fans to vote between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo to decide the best footballer over the last 15 years. The results have since been published, with the former claiming the coveted title.
A total of 46,766 votes were cast on Maxifoot.fr. Lionel Messi emerged as the winner, receiving 55.2% of the votes. Cristiano Ronaldo earned 44.8% of the votes.
Messi has predominantly played most of the past 15 years for Barcelona while representing Paris Saint-Germain and Inter Miami as well. The eight-time Ballon d'Or winner has scored 775 goals and provided 342 assists in 929 appearances across all competitions for club and country.
While Ronaldo has also dominated his opponents over the past 15 years while playing for the likes of Manchester United, Real Madrid, Juventus, and Al-Nassr, his numbers are slightly fewer than Messi's.
The five-time Ballon d'Or winner has netted 771 goals and registered 194 assists in 897 appearances in total for club and country. He is also yet to win the FIFA World Cup for Portugal, like Messi did with Argentina in December 2022.
How have Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo performed this season?
Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have contested the GOAT debate to no avail for well over a decade. Both icons are now approaching the twilight years of their careers.
Lionel Messi joined Inter Miami as a free agent from Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) on July 15, 2023. He enjoyed a stellar start to his MLS tenure, registering 11 goals and five assists in 14 appearances across all competitions, winning the Leagues Cup.
Unfortunately, the 36-year-old picked up a knock towards the end of the Herons' MLS campaign, meaning his side were unable to qualify for the playoffs. Messi won't feature in the MLS until the start of the next season in February 2024.
On the other hand, Cristiano Ronaldo has been dominating the Saudi Pro League as an Al-Nassr player. The 38-year-old has scored 16 goals and provided nine assists in 17 appearances in total and already has 45 goals in this calendar year.
