Lionel Messi looks to break Ronaldo Champions League records as the Portuguese star will be playing in the Europa League this season.
Cristiano Ronaldo has been lobbying for a transfer away from Manchester United, which might provide Lionel Messi a record-breaking window of opportunity in the Champions League.
This season’s largest European stages won’t include a Portuguese superstar due to the team’s troubles at Old Trafford, but Paris Saint-Germain will unquestionably feature an Argentine legend.
On a list of all-time goal scorers in continental play, two enduring rivals who have spent the most of their individual careers competing against one another presently hold the top two slots. But in 2022–2023, could Messi unseat Ronaldo as the top scorer?
On September 6, the 2022–23 Champions League group stage is set to begin, with PSG taking on Juventus on the first night of play.
Messi will be expecting to have a significant role in that game as well as the remaining Group H matches against Benfica and Maccabi Haifa.
Cristiano Ronaldo
Games: 183
Goals: 140
Lionel Messi
Games: 156
Goals: 125
Currently, the seven-time Ballon d’Or winner has 125 goals to his name in the Champions League.
Even with that incredible total, the Argentine still trails Ronaldo by about 15 attempts.
When rubbing elbows with the Champions League elite, a player who has already won Europe five times with United and Real Madrid has scored 140 times.
However, he won’t be participating in 2022–23 because his club employers at Old Trafford could only produce a sixth-place Premier League finish the previous season.
When it comes to bridging the gap with Ronaldo at the top of a major goals list, Messi has an unexpected opportunity.
He would not have anticipated a 37-year-old man who has won five Golden Balls to be missing from Champions League action.
The desire to return to that stage is said to have played a significant role in Ronaldo’s decision to push for a summer transfer away from Manchester. At various points, the all-time great was linked with Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund, Roma, Napoli, and even PSG.
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A Portugal international forward will remain in position until at least January because no agreement was reached.
Prior to that, Messi will play in six Champions League games as PSG tries to ease their way into the knockout rounds, injury and suspension permitting.
A total of 13 games would be watched if they were to advance all the way to the championship game on June 10 in Istanbul.
Although he has never reached that level previously, it is not out of the question for Messi to score 15 goals in those games.
He has only reached double digits five times, and his personal best return in a single Champions League season is 14 (achieved in 2011–12).
That makes it doubtful that Ronaldo’s record will be broken before next summer, but Messi is the only player who is capable of accomplishing the impossible, so it is safe to assume that if another piece of sporting history proves to be elusive, he will be breathing down the neck of an old rival.
