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If you're a football buff, getting into every Messi vs Ronaldo stat and comparison might be a daily task for you. On Sportz Point, we have tried to cover every Messi vs Roanldo comparison possible for you. Today, we have something special for you.
In this article, we will get to know every detail about the non-penalty goals scored by both Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi.
Recently, Lionel Messi has gone past Cristiano Ronaldo in terms of scoring the most non-penalty goals in the 21st century. How many goals did they score? We will get to know about this today.
What is a non-penalty goal?
This is quite easy and simple to understand. We know for a football geek like you, it is a simple answer. But, for everyone new to football, we have got you covered as well.
A non-penalty goal is a goal scored from open play, not from the penalty spot. A penalty is something a footballer scores from 12 yards (11 meters) from the goal line and centred between the touchlines, which is called the penalty spot.
Who has scored the most non-penalty goals?
Since there is no definite record of the official goals scored in past, mostly in the 1970s, and before that, we will only consider the stats of the 21st century to answer this one.
As of 21st July, 2025, Lionel Messi has scored the most non-penalty goals in the 21st century. The Argentine has scored 764 non-penalty goals in just 1114 appearances.
Messi vs Ronaldo: Non-penalty goals comparison
Lionel Messi leads by one goal compared to Cristiano Ronaldo when it comes to non-penalty goals scored in football. Messi has scored 764 non-penalty goals in just 1114 appearances, of which 676 came for the clubs he has played for.
Messi has scored 111 non-penalty goals in the Champions League as well.
Meantime, Cristiano Ronaldo, who has scored the most goals in the 21st century, has scored 763 non-penalty goals till now in 1281 matches. Ronaldo has scored 646 non-penalty goals in his club career, which is 30 fewer than Messi's record.
However, the Portuguese has a better record than Messi when it comes to the Champions League and international football. But he has played 167 more matches than Messi.
| Category | Messi – Goals | Messi – Mins/Goal | Ronaldo – Goals | Ronaldo – Mins/Goal |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| All-Time Non-Pen Goals | 764 | 120 mins | 763 | 137 mins |
| All-time Non-Pen goals% | 87.5% | - | 81.35 | - |
| All Time Club | 676 | 112 mins | 646 | 135 mins |
| League | 474 | 107 mins | 453 | 130 mins |
| Champions League | 111 | 123 mins | 121 | 135 mins |
| Other Club Cups | 91 | 125 mins | 72 | 170 mins |
| International | 88 | 181 mins | 117 | 151 mins |
What percentage of Messi and Ronald's goals came in penalties?
Till now, Messi has converted 110 of the 141 he has taken so far. So, since he has scored 874 goals so far in his career, only 12.5% goals came through penalties.
Meanwhile, as of 21st July, 2025, Cristiano Ronaldo has scored 175 penalty goals of the 208 penalties he has taken so far. And if we calculate it with the 938 career goals Ronaldo has, 18.65% goals came through penalties.