Following his two-goal performance in Inter Miami’s 3–1 victory over Atlanta United, Lionel Messi reached 936 career goals at age 39. How many did Cristiano Ronaldo have at the same age?
Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are undoubtedly two of the greatest soccer players in history. They continue to make history game after game, leaving many supporters wondering how their legendary careers will ultimately conclude.
On Saturday, Lionel Messi scored a brace against Atlanta United to lead Inter Miami to a 3–1 victory, reaching 936 career goals. Compared to Cristiano Ronaldo’s output at the exact same age, the Argentine forward is on pace to finish his career with more goals than the Portuguese icon.
How many goals did Cristiano Ronaldo have at 39 years old?
When Cristiano Ronaldo celebrated his 39th birthday on February 5, 2024, he had accumulated 873 official career goals across 1,204 appearances. By the end of his 39th year—when he turned 40 on February 5, 2025—Ronaldo had increased his total to 923 career goals in 1,254 matches after netting 50 goals across that 12-month span.
Cristiano Ronaldo of Al Nassr.
Lionel Messi turned 39 on June 24, 2026, with 916 career goals to his name—nearly matching the total Ronaldo had accumulated when he turned 40. Messi has since added 20 more goals to reach 936, with roughly eight months and numerous fixtures remaining before he celebrates his 40th birthday.
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A key differentiator moving forward is their international availability. Lionel Messi has already retired from the Argentina national team, reducing the number of matches available to him. As a result, he can now only build on his tally through domestic and continental competitions with Inter Miami.
The road to 1,000 goals
Cristiano Ronaldo currently stands just 19 goals away from scoring 1,000 career goals. He is widely projected to reach and potentially surpass that milestone, depending on how much longer he decides to continue playing.
Even without fixtures for the Argentina national team, Lionel Messi remains on pace to also reach 1,000 career goals. While he is currently further away than Cristiano Ronaldo, Messi is more than two years younger and maintains a superior career goals-per-game ratio, keeping the race for the ultimate scoring milestone firmly open.
