In recent years, both Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi have won countless trophies with their clubs and national teams, as well as numerous individual honors. Just recently, it was announced that the Argentine forward was named MVP of the latest MLS season.
With this distinction, Messi has won 11 season MVP awards since turning professional, while CR7 has been named best player in a league eight times. In this category, the Argentine holds the edge over his colleague.
Nine of the awards Messi received came while he was part of the Barcelona squad and being honored by La Liga. His last two, however, were earned wearing the colors of Inter Miami in the MLS.
Ronaldo’s accolades, on the other hand, are a bit more spread out: two came in the Premier League with Manchester United, one in the 07/08 UEFA Champions League, two in La Liga, and the last three in Serie A with Juventus.
Messi’s stellar season in the MLS
Messi completed a truly historic season in Major League Soccer, culminating in his first league title with Inter Miami. Not only did he win the MLS Golden Boot with 29 goals but Messi also made history by winning back-to-back MVP awards, becoming the first player to do so.
Messi’s statistical output was phenomenal, as he also recorded 19 assists in just 28 regular season appearances, averaging over one goal contribution per game and leading the league in assists.