Al Nassr faced Al Khaleej and secured a convincing 4–1 victory, but the moment that stole the spotlight came in the closing minutes, when Cristiano Ronaldo scored a stunning bicycle kick. After the goal went viral, the inevitable comparison resurfaced immediately: How many bicycle kicks has Lionel Messi scored in his career?
Cristiano Ronaldo delivered another moment of brilliance in the Saudi Pro League, scoring a spectacular overhead kick in the 90’+6’ to close out Al Nassr’s win. With this acrobatic strike, Ronaldo recorded the third bicycle kick goal of his career, while Lionel Messi has only one goal of this kind to his name.
Ronaldo’s first bicycle kick came during his time at Real Madrid in the first leg of the 2018 UEFA Champions League quarterfinals against Juventus. Real Madrid went on to win the match 3–0, with Ronaldo’s iconic finish assisted by Dani Carvajal.
His second came earlier this year with the Portugal national team in a 5–1 win over Poland. Beyond the bicycle kick, Ronaldo scored a brace that night, once again showcasing the quality, longevity, and power that have defined his career at every stage. Still, his most mythical overhead kick remains the one he scored against Juventus in that 2018 Champions League matchup.
When was Messi’s only bicycle kick goal?
Even though Lionel Messi ranks as the second-highest scorer in history, trailing only Ronaldo, the Argentine superstar has scored just one bicycle kick in his career. Messi’s lone overhead kick came during his time with Paris Saint-Germain, in a 5–0 win over Clermont in Ligue 1.
The goal arrived on the opening weekend of the season—a perfectly executed acrobatic finish that capped PSG’s dominant performance and marked the first and only bicycle kick of Messi’s career.
Of course, while it would be an added bonus for Messi to have more goals of this style, it hardly diminishes his legacy. His trademark goals—dribbling through tight spaces, eliminating entire defenses, and creating magic where none exists—are already more than enough. The same can be said for Ronaldo, whose career has been filled with spectacular finishes of every variety.
As the debate between these two soccer icons continues, Ronaldo’s ability to deliver highlight-reel moments like this latest bicycle kick only adds another layer to his already legendary career.