Erik ten Hag has launched a scathing attack on Cristiano Ronaldo, claiming the Portuguese superstar has been in decline since leaving Real Madrid for Juventus in 2018.

But does the former Manchester United manager have a point? What better way to assess Ronaldo’s supposed decline than by comparing his numbers with those of his old rival Lionel Messi?

The summer of 2018 feels a lifetime ago. Ronaldo had just inspired Real Madrid to a third straight Champions League triumph, the pair were tied on five Ballon d’Ors, and Messi was licking his wounds after a disastrous World Cup with Argentina. The GOAT debate felt a lot closer back then.

“Every top team must embrace the top player, but the top player must also make way for the team. That was simply the problem with Ronaldo,” Ten Hag told ESPN.

“The players wanted to work for him and they looked up to him because let there be no misunderstanding about that. He is of course a tremendous player, one of the all-time greats.

“But that is also the reality over the last seven, eight years, he simply can no longer deliver. From Juventus onwards it’s simply over.

“That is actually the great gift of Real Madrid. They always know when to say goodbye to players at the right moment. They recognise when a player’s level is declining. And they say goodbye at a moment when to the outside world, they still appear to be at their peak, but they can no longer actually deliver.”

Ten Hag’s arrival at Manchester United effectively spelt the beginning of the end for Ronaldo, whose relationship with the Dutchman quickly turned sour.

“When I started at United, and I explained to him how we were going to play, what his role in that would be, and what he could expect from me and from the team. But ultimately, you also have to deliver yourself,” Ten Hag added.

“He could no longer bring himself to push through the pain and to give everything every single day and to train at his maximum in order to get fit.

“If you’re not fit in the Premier League, Champions League, or with the Portuguese national team, well, then you simply have no chance.”

Juventus broke the bank to sign Ronaldo in 2018, hoping he’d finally deliver the Champions League. He scored plenty and won two Scudetti, but their European fortunes deteriorated and their stranglehold on Italian football came to an end.

His Manchester United homecoming proved even more disastrous. The Red Devils missed out on Champions League qualification, Ronaldo’s relationship with Ten Hag completely broke down, and he ended up leaving European football altogether for Saudi Arabia.

Messi’s club career hasn’t exactly been plain sailing either. His Barcelona exit was desperately sad, albeit after another Ballon d’Or, while his time at PSG was largely forgettable. The star-studded attack alongside Neymar and Kylian Mbappe never quite clicked, and he’s since wound down in MLS.

But that’s in stark contrast to his international career, where he’s arguably enjoyed his greatest years, leading Argentina through a golden era of success.

The numbers make for interesting reading. Ronaldo has scored eight more goals than Messi since 2018, but 80 have come from the penalty spot compared to Messi’s 37. The Argentine has also registered more than three times as many assists.

But the greatest difference is in what they’ve won. Messi has added 14 trophies, three Ballon d’Ors and the crowning glory of the World Cup. It’s difficult to argue that Ronaldo has enjoyed anything like the same late-career success.

Here’s how Messi and Ronaldo’s stats stack up against one another since the summer of 2018:

Cristiano Ronaldo’s stats since summer 2018

Goals: 327 ⭐
Assists: 56
Goal Contributions: 383

Penalties scored (taken): 80 ⭐ (95 ⭐)
Free-kicks: 11

Minutes per goal: 110.36 ⭐
Minutes per non-penalty goal: 146.11
Minutes per goal or assist: 94.22

Trophies Won – 9:

– Supercoppa Italiana x 2 (2018, 2020)
– Serie A x 2 (2018-19), 2019-20)
– Coppa Italia x 1 (2020-21)
– Arab Champions Cup x 1 (2023)
– Saudi Pro League x 1 (2025-26)
– UEFA Nations League x 2 (2018-19, 2024-25)

Ballon d’Or – 0

Lionel Messi’s stats since summer 2018

Goals: 319
Assists: 175 ⭐
Goal Contributions: 494 ⭐

Penalties scored (taken): 37 (48)
Free-kicks: 36 ⭐

Minutes per goal: 110.76
Minutes per non-penalty goal: 125.29 ⭐
Minutes per goal or assist: 71.52 ⭐