Lionel Messi's record at 38 compared to Cristiano Ronaldo at the same age speaks volumes

Lionel Messi's record at 38 compared to Cristiano Ronaldo at the same age speaks volumes.

Messi, who turned 38 on Thursday, is still going strong and is aiming to lead Inter Miami to Club World Cup glory this summer.

He's enjoyed a glittering career, playing for Barcelona, where he won four Champions League titles, and Paris Saint-Germain, not to mention representing Argentina, having inspired his national team to World Cup triumph in 2022.

Messi's on-field rival Ronaldo is also showing no signs of slowing down but his record at 38 compared to the Portuguese superstar paints a fascinating picture.

When both players were 37, Messi scored 29 goals and recorded 10 assists. That's 116 minutes per goal and 87 minutes per goal contribution, while Ronaldo netted 17 goals and registered four assists.

Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo enjoyed a legendary rivalry in Spain's La Liga. Image: Getty

At 36, Ronaldo scored an impressive 41 goals compared to Messi's 30, but the Argentine grabbed 18 assists, which is 61 minutes per goal contribution.

110 minutes per goal contribution for Ronaldo.

Aged 35, Ronaldo scored 40 goals - 102 minutes per goal, trumping Messi, who scored a goal every 126 minutes.

The Manchester United and Real Madrid legend also had better numbers at 34 and 33, while Messi outperformed his rival at 31.

Aged 28-30, Ronaldo surpassed Messi with his statistics.

Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have 13 Ballon d'Or titles between them. Image: Getty

But from 18-25, Messi outshined Ronaldo, who only bettered him at 17 when they were on the rise.

Messi and Ronaldo went head-to-head in Spain with Barca and Real respectively at the peak of their powers.

The Barca legend has a lot of respect for his counterpart but insists they are not friends.

"I have a lot of respect and admiration for Cristiano Ronaldo and for the career he's had and continues to have, because he's still competing at the highest level," he told DSports.

"The competition with him was on the pitch. Each of us wanted to do the best for our team. Obviously, as always, everything stayed on the field.

"Off the pitch, we are two normal people. We're not friends obviously because we don't spend time together, but we've always treated each other with a lot of respect."