Lionel Messi is a three-time Club World Cup champion: How many titles has Cristiano Ronaldo won?

In just two days, the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 will kick off, and Lionel Messi will be front and center at the tournament’s opening, representing Inter Miami in a Saturday night clash against Al Ahly of Egypt at Hard Rock Stadium. The Argentine forward will be aiming for his fourth title in this competition, adding yet another layer to the ongoing comparison with Cristiano Ronaldo.

This year, the Club World Cup will feature a new format, expanding to 32 teams from around the globe, mirroring the structure used in the FIFA World Cup through 2022. However, the tournament has existed for years in a more compact version, previously limited to the champions of each continental confederation.

Under that earlier format, Messi captured three titles with Barcelona, earning his spot through UEFA Champions League victories. Cristiano Ronaldo, by comparison, won the tournament four times: once with Manchester United and three more with Real Madrid.

Messi’s Club World Cup titles

Messi’s first appearance in the Club World Cup came in 2009, after Barcelona were crowned European champions in that unforgettable final against Ronaldo’s Manchester United in Rome. That year, the Spanish giants won the world title by defeating Atlante of Mexico 3-1 in the semifinals and Estudiantes of Argentina 2-1 in the final, with a goal from Lionel in extra time.

Lionel Messi won three Club World Cup titles with Barcelona

Two years later, Barcelona returned to the tournament, again under Pep Guardiola and with Messi as the star attraction. This time, they had no trouble advancing, beating Al-Sadd of Qatar 4-0 in the semifinals and then defeating Neymar’s Santos by the same scoreline in the final.

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The third—and to date, final—time Messi played in the Club World Cup was in 2015. That year, Barcelona dominated Europe with Luis Enrique as coach and the famous MSN trio up front, combining Lionel, Neymar, and Luis Suarez. That edition saw them defeat Guangzhou Evergrande of China and River Plate of Argentina with identical 3-0 scorelines.

Ronaldo’s Club World Cup titles

Cristiano Ronaldo made his first Club World Cup appearance in 2008 with Manchester United, claiming the title after a semifinal win over Gamba Osaka of Japan and a final victory against Liga of Ecuador.

With Real Madrid, CR7 played the tournament three more times—and won it on each occasion. In 2014, the Spanish giants defeated Cruz Azul of Mexico 4-0, then beat San Lorenzo of Argentina 2-0 in the final. In 2016, they returned and took the crown by overcoming America of Mexico (2-0) and Kashima Antlers of Japan (4-2). Finally, the following year, CR7 earned his fourth title with wins over Al-Jazira of Abu Dhabi (2-1) and Gremio of Brazil (1-0).

How many goals did Messi and Ronaldo score in the Club World Cup?

Cristiano Ronaldo not only leads Lionel Messi in Club World Cup appearances and titles, but also in goals scored during the competition. The Portuguese star played 8 matches in total, scoring 7 goals and adding 3 assists. Messi, by contrast, played 5 games, netting 5 goals and contributing one assist.