Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo's ratings from FIFA 06 to EA FC 26 revealed and there's a clear winner

Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo's ratings between FIFA 06 and EA FC 26 have been compared - and there is a clear winner.

Messi made his debut in the FIFA franchise in FIFA 06, with Ronaldo debuting two years earlier following his move to Manchester United.

The Argentinian was added to FIFA 06 as a 78-rated right forward, who was capable of playing in attacking midfield, right wing and as a centre forward.

By that stage, Ronaldo was beginning to establish himself in the Premier League and was rated at 83 overall.

In those days, Ultimate Team had not yet been introduced to the FIFA franchise and neither had dynamic rating updates, meaning the overalls that each player was given at the start of the game stayed static for the entire game cycle.

By FIFA 07, Ronaldo was rated at 87, with a 92 potential on career mode.

Messi was close behind him on 85, with Ronaldo leading 91 to 86 on FIFA 08.

Ronaldo and Messi's first full-season FIFA Ultimate Team cards in FIFA 10 (Image: EA SPORTS)

At the beginning of Ronaldo's final season at Old Trafford, he was only a point clear of Messi (91 versus 90) for FIFA 09.

That would be the last time that Ronaldo would have an outright lead over his great rival until FIFA 17.

Messi peaked at 94 overall between FIFA 12 and 14, and then in FIFA 16.

Ronaldo, meanwhile, finally hit the 94 number in FIFA 17, with the pair sharing the same peak rating in FIFA 19.

The pair have slowly and gradually declined since then, with Messi down at 91 and Ronaldo 90 for FIFA 23.

EA FC 24 saw a drastic ratings drop for Ronaldo, who fell to 86 after signing for Saudi Pro League side Al Nassr.

Messi's decline in overall has been less pronounced, and he was rated at 88 compared to Ronaldo's 86 for EA FC 25.

According to EA FC 26 leaks, Messi is rated at 87 and Ronaldo 85 for EA FC 26 - their lowest ratings since FIFA 08.

But how do the pair compare in terms of overall numbers?

Lionel Messi vs Cristiano Ronaldo ratings comparison

There is a surprise winner when it comes to calculating Messi and Ronaldo's cumulative ratings.

Despite being behind Messi for eight consecutive years - and since FIFA 20 - Ronaldo has a higher collective rating than his rival.

Ronaldo's rating adds up to 1,832, while Messi is at 1,815.

That is largely because of their additions to the FIFA franchise, with Messi comfortably down on Ronaldo during his first two years in the game.

He has clawed back most of that disadvantage in the past 15 years, but Ronaldo's longevity in football means he wins the battle.

At 40, Ronaldo shows no signs of slowing down and recently signed a new two-year contract with Al Nassr, taking him through to the 2026 World Cup.

Messi, 38, has a contract with Inter Miami that expires at the end of the year but there is no indication that he intends to step away from football in the near future either.