Even at 40 years old, Cristiano Ronaldo remains a lethal force in front of the net, a fact he reinforced by scoring for Al Nassr in their final match of 2025 against Al Ettifaq. However, for the first time in years, the Portuguese legend finished a calendar year without recording a single hat trick, sparking immediate comparisons to Lionel Messiās 2025 campaign.
While Ronaldo was unable to find the net three times in a single match this year breaking a 15-year streak, Messiās lone hat trick of 2025 came on October 18 during a 5-2 dismantling of Nashville SC. That performance helped the Argentine secure the MLS Golden Boot and paved the way for Inter Miamiās historic postseason run.
Despite 2025 not being a standout year individually for Cristiano Ronaldo, the Portuguese forward has recorded more hat tricks since his arrival in the Middle East compared to the Argentineās tenure in the United States.
The Al Nassr captain has registered six hat tricks since joining the Saudi club in late 2022. In contrast, Messi has only managed to score three goals in a single match on two different occasions with Inter Miami since arriving in Fort Lauderdale in mid-2023.
Cristiano Ronaldo celebrates a hat trick against Al Wehda. (Getty Images)
However, Inter Miamiās captain finished the year better individually, as he scored more goals than Cristiano Ronaldo during 2025. The Argentine ended the year as the worldās sixth-highest scorer with 46 goals, while the Portuguese finished in ninth place with 41 goals across all competitions.
How did both players finish 2025?
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While their individual statistics remained impressive, the collective results for both stars followed different paths this year. Cristiano Ronaldo was unable to secure a league title in Saudi Arabia, an achievement that has eluded him since his arrival, but he did find success on the international stage by leading Portugal to a UEFA Nations League title following a victory over Spain.
In contrast, Messi capped off his year with an MLS Cup title, leading Inter Miami to the first such trophy in franchise history. The Argentine served as a cornerstone of the championship run, claiming the MLS Golden Boot and the regular-season MVP award. In doing so, he became the only player in league history to win the MVP in back-to-back seasons.
Looking ahead to 2026, Cristiano Ronaldo will focus on reaching the 1,000-goal milestoneācurrently sitting 43 goals awayāwhile preparing for what will likely be his final opportunity to win the World Cup with Portugal. Meanwhile, Messi will look to defend Argentinaās World Cup title while attempting to close the gap on Ronaldo as the second-highest scorer in the history of the sport.
