"What an era", "Aura for aura" - Fans react as incredible Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi statistics from their La Liga stint surfaces

Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi have consistently shattered footballing records over the last decade and a half. The duo set La Liga alight during their time in Spain with Barcelona and Real Madrid.

Ronaldo departed from Real Madrid in 2018, and Messi left Barcelona in 2021. Nonetheless, their records remain remarkable, with their rivalry peaking between 2010 and 2015 and producing some unprecedented numbers.

The 2011-12 season was particularly extraordinary for Messi, who scored a record 50 goals in La Liga and finished the season with 73 goals across all competitions. Ronaldo was close behind, finishing just four goals short of Messi in La Liga, but his goals helped Real Madrid win the league title and break Barcelona’s dominance in Spain.

In the 2012-13 season, Messi netted 46 goals, while Ronaldo bounced back in the 2013-14 season to become La Liga’s top scorer with 31 goals. The following year, Messi led Barcelona to a historic treble and scored 43 La Liga goals. Ronaldo, however, outperformed him with 48 goals to win the Golden Boot and ended the season with a career-best 61 goals.

These incredible statistics recently resurfaced on the social media platform X, sparking appreciation of the Ronaldo-Messi era among fans.

“What an era,” a fan tweeted.

Another comment highlighted the remarkable nature of their competition, noting how closely matched Messi and Ronaldo were throughout their careers.

“Aura for aura,” the fan stated.

Here are a few more reactions:

"These figures per season are insane, another fan commented.

“Were scoring more goals than matches played! Imagine scoring 40+ goals and still not being top scorer because some scored 50,” another fan chimed in.

“Over here on the street, there was only two questions after every Barca/Madrid game. What’s the scoreline? How many Messi/Ronaldo scored?” remarked a fan, clearly in awe of the two players.

Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi set to return to club football after international duty

Both Ronaldo and Messi were key members of their respective countries in the 2024 Euro and Copa America, respectively. While Messi led Argentina to victory in the Copa America, Ronaldo’s Portugal was eliminated by France in the quarter-finals.

Now, their focus has shifted back to club football. After a brief break, Ronaldo returned to the Al-Nassr camp and shared on social media that it was “good to be back.” After their recent defeat to Granada in their final pre-season game, Al-Nassr will play the Saudi Super Cup semi-final clash against Al-Taawoun on August 14.

Meanwhile, Messi is dealing with an ankle injury that he suffered while playing in the Copa America. He missed the 2024 Leagues Cup games but is close to returning, with Inter Miami set to play FC Cincinnati in the MLS on August 25.

Both these icons have adapted remarkably to their new clubs, with Ronaldo having scored 64 goals in 70 games for the Saudi club, while Messi has netted 25 goals in 29 appearances for Inter Miami.