Cristiano Ronaldo vs Lionel Messi: Their 2021-22 season in numbers
What's the story
Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi switched pastures in the summer of 2021. Ronaldo left Juventus and made a stunning return to Manchester United after a gap of 12 years. He led United from the front and was their standout player in what was an abysmal campaign. Meanwhile, Messi was forced to leave Barcelona and he joined Paris Saint-Germain, helping them win the Ligue 1.
Context
Why does this story matter?
Ronaldo and Messi are still showing why they are capable stars to bank upon even if reaching the twilight of their careers. The two best players this generation has seen - Ronaldo and Messi - can be proud of the work they did in the 2021-22 season for their respective clubs. Currently, they are enjoying scoring goals for their respective nations.
Criticism
Unwanted criticism came in Ronaldo and Messi's way
All the talks of Ronaldo being a problem for United's failures by certain pundits, sections of media, and fans were absolute rubbish. Not only did Ronaldo help United reach the knockout stages of the Champions League, he also impressed largely with his goals in the Premier League. Meanwhile, Messi was criticized for not reaching the heights at PSG. However, he did a reasonable job.
Ronaldo
Ronaldo netted 24 goals for Man United
Ronaldo made 38 appearances for Man United in the 2021-22 season. He ended up with 24 goals. Ronaldo scored 18 Premier League goals and added another six in the Champions League. For the 16th successive season, he managed 20-plus goals in a season. Overall for United, he has 142 goals in 330 appearances for the club.
Ronaldo PL
Decoding the Premier League numbers of Ronaldo in 2021-22
Ronaldo made 30 Premier League appearances for United last season, scoring 18 goals. He also provided three assists. His tally included three penalties and a free-kick. Out of his 110 shots, 43 were on target. He missed 13 big chances and created seven. He also hit the woodwork on two occasions. He also clocked 33 offsides in the 2021-22 season.
PL goals
Ronaldo reached 100 PL goals for United
Ronaldo became the fourth United player to reach 100 Premier League goals for United after Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes, and Wayne Rooney. He has 102 goals in total. Ronaldo netted two Premier League hat-tricks last season (Tottenham and Norwich). He now has 60 hat-tricks in his professional career for club and country, including 50 at club level.
Information
Unique records scripted by Ronaldo last season
Ronaldo became the first player aged 36 or over to score 15+ goals in a single Premier League season. He also became the oldest hat-trick scorer in PL history, surpassing his own record. Against Norwich, Ronaldo scored his 15th hat-trick after turning 30-plus.
Messi Ligue 1
Messi's Ligue 1 season in numbers
Messi scored six goals in Ligue 1 for PSG last season. He provided the second-highest number of assists (14) after Kylian Mbappe (17). Notably, Messi hit the woodwork on 11 occasions in Ligue 1 (highest). As per the official site of Ligue 1, Messi clocked the most penultimate passes before a shot in the league (45). He registered the second-highest percentage of successful dribbles.
Information
Unique record for Messi in Ligue 1
As per Ligue 1, Messi scripted a record by becoming the the first player in the history of the championship to bag two assist hat-tricks in the same season. He achieved the same versus ASSE and Clermont.
UCL
How did they perform in the Champions League?
In the Champions League 2021-22 season, Ronaldo scored six goals for United. All of his goals came in the group stage as United progressed, topping their group. Meanwhile, Messi managed to score five goals. His goals came at the group stage as well. Both United and PSG were knocked out in the round of 16.
Awards
Ronaldo won a plethora of individual awards
Ronaldo won one Premier League Goal of the Month award, besides two Player of the Month awards as well. He was also crowned Manchester United's Sir Matt Busby Player of the Year. He bagged five Player of the Month accolades for United. He was also voted Man of the Match 10 times across competitions.