The debate over who is better, Leo Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo, has been ongoing for years. But can it really be answered? According to our team of football statistics experts at Sofascore, the answer is a clear yes.
On the third edition of Sofascore Stadium meetup, our Brand & Content team tackled the topics of Sofascore Rating and presented iconic football moments on social media.
Filip Petković, Sofascore’s Content Team Lead, Filip Ožbolt, Sofascore’s Content Manager and moderator Josip Paušić, Football Analyst and Producer at Tribina.hr dived into the deep world of football statistics. In a dynamic panel discussion called History retweets itself, it all started with a little ‘’trip down memory lane’’.
One standout feature of Sofascore is our ability to provide historical football data. With the help of our long-term partner Opta, we are the only live score platform that offers data from past World Cup, European Championship, and Champions League matches. We help fans explore football’s rich history — covering games that took place long before the internet even existed. This feature has once again proven especially valuable during recent tournaments like this summer’s European Championship and the ongoing Champions League.
‘’Historical data is a great feature for all football romantics to enjoy the data that were not available before. And it is not just about finding interesting football statistics from specific matches. Those historical data gave us great value in everyday business because they expand our database and give us a greater pattern to highlight statistical records.’’, said Filip Petković, Content Team Lead at Sofascore.
So, how does this data help settle the Messi vs. Ronaldo debate? According to the stats, Leo Messi emerges as the superior player.
‘’Our most engaging content, both positive and negative, comes from this debate. Statistically, Messi’s Sofascore Rating is consistently higher than Ronaldo’s. Messi makes fewer mistakes, avoids negative play, and has achieved 13 perfect 10 ratings in Champions League history. In comparison, Ronaldo didn’t score in his first 26 Champions League games, which impacted his average rating. Ultimately, Messi’s playing style is favoured by the algorithm.’’ – explained Filip Ožbolt, Content Manager at Sofascore.
Hope that explains it a little bit, and just to clarify, it has nothing to do with the online rumours that Messi’s dad is the owner of Sofascore. He really isn’t 🙂
Creating high-quality, engaging content around these debates is what drives our Brand & Content team. When we receive positive feedback from both our football app users and football players themselves, it’s a clear sign we’re on the right path.
None of this would be possible without our partner, Opta, the leading provider of live sports data. If Opta doesn’t have the information, neither do we.
The meetup was a packed event, and the discussions carried on long after the panel officially ended in a more casual setting. Sofascore will continue to host meetups that connect the sports and tech communities, delving into the hottest topics in the industry.
