Argentine football legend Lionel Messi has achieved another remarkable milestone by surpassing Cristiano Ronaldo in non-penalty goals.

 

Messi scored twice in Inter Miami's emphatic 5-1 win over New York Red Bulls, taking his tally of non-penalty goals to 764, one ahead of Ronaldo, who stands at 763.

 

These statistics include only official matches and exclude goals scored from penalties. That’s why they’re considered a better reflection of a player’s technical skill, positioning, and decision-making on the field.

 

Messi scored most of his goals while playing for Barcelona between 2004 and 2021. 

 

In contrast, Ronaldo has over 880 career goals in total, but more than 150 of those have come from penalties. He has also played more matches than Messi, making this comparison even more significant.