Cristiano Ronaldo wins first official title with Al Nassr: How many has Lionel Messi lifted with Inter Miami?

After a two-and-a-half-year wait, Cristiano Ronaldo has finally secured his first official piece of silverware with Al Nassr. Following their 4-1 victory over Al Damac, the Portuguese icon captured his first sanctioned title in Saudi Arabia, a milestone his career rival, Lionel Messi, had already checked off with Inter Miami in the States.

In fact, Messi’s trophy haul with Inter Miami has grown to four, highlighted by a dominant 2025 campaign in which he secured both the MLS Cup and the Eastern Conference title. His trophy cabinet in South Florida also includes the 2023 Leagues Cup and the 2024 MLS Supporters’ Shield.

While Ronaldo previously hoisted the Arab Club Champions Cup in 2023, the tournament’s unofficial status meant it didn’t count toward his sanctioned tally. For a player who has spent a lifetime collecting major trophies, the wait for official gold with Al Nassr had become a surprising subplot of his tenure.

Now, all eyes turn toward the 2026 World Cup in North America. Messi is slated to lead Argentina’s title defense, while Ronaldo aims to guide Portugal to the one trophy that has eluded him, adding to a legendary international resume that already includes Euro 2016 and the UEFA Nations League titles.

Cristiano Ronaldo of Al Nassr.

Ronaldo and Messi’s league records

While Messi holds the edge in team trophies compared to Cristiano, and both icons have produced staggering individual numbers, proving that their dominance remains undiminished by age or geography.

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A closer look at their impact in the Saudi Pro League and MLS reveals the following:

• Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al Nassr milestones:
  • Ronaldo became the first player in Saudi Pro League history to score against every opponent (17 teams) in a single campaign.
  • He reached the 100-goal mark in just 105 appearances, shattering the league record for the fastest to a century.
  • With 26 league goals so far this season, he is on track to become the oldest top scorer in the history of the Saudi top flight.
  • He holds the Al Nassr record for most goals in a single campaign across all competitions (currently 35+ for the 25–26 season).

• Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami milestones:
  • Messi became the fastest player in MLS history to reach 100 regular season goal contributions (goals + assists), doing so in just 64 games, obliterating Sebastian Giovinco’s previous mark of 95.
  • He holds Inter Miami’s single-season scoring record with 29 goals in 2025.
  • He co-holds the record for most assists in a single MLS match (5 assists vs. NY Red Bulls in 2024).
  • Messi is the highest-paid player in league history, with a $25 million base salary and total guaranteed compensation of $28.3 million (with total annual earnings estimated at $135M+ including commercial deals).

The final race: The all-time goal record

With Cristiano Ronaldo currently sitting at 973 career goals and Lionel Messi at 910, the race to the 1.000-goal barrier is in its final stretch. As the 2026 World Cup approaches and their respective league seasons continue, both players have a legitimate shot at the milestone, though Ronaldo remains the odds-on favorite to be the first to reach the quadruple-digit mark.