Ronaldo plays less fair-play than Messi. That is an undeniable truth. If you don't believe it, just look at the number of red cards that this pair of rivals has received throughout their careers.
Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi have been in fierce competition for over a decade, and they deserve the title of "arch-rivals." Now, they are entering the final phase of their careers, and the opportunity for a direct confrontation between the two is almost nonexistent. Ronaldo has been playing for Al-Nassr in Saudi Arabia since the beginning of this year, while the Argentinean international is preparing to join Inter Miami in the United States.
Throughout their rivalry, much has been said about the excellence and achievements of these two superstars, both collectively and individually, such as the number of trophies won or the Ballon d'Or titles. However, few have noticed, or intentionally overlooked, who plays more "dirty" between the two.
Statistics show that throughout his career at both club and international level, Messi has received a mere 4 red cards. Specifically, the 35-year-old superstar has been sent off twice while playing for Barcelona and twice while representing the Argentine national team. However, the time gap between Messi's red card incidents is quite long.
In 2005, when Messi was just 18 years old, due to his youthful enthusiasm and desire to win, he received two consecutive red cards: one in a match between Barcelona and Pena Sport, and one in his debut for the Argentine national team against Hungary. In the latter incident, Messi faced criticism for intentionally hitting Vilmos Vanczak after being pulled by a Hungarian defender.
It wasn't until 15 years later that the seven-time Ballon d'Or winner received his third red card, during a match between Argentina and Chile in the Copa America, following a clash with defender Gary Medel. Messi's most recent red card came in the 2020/21 season, during extra time in the Spanish Super Cup match between Barcelona and Bilbao.
Although Ronaldo has fewer Ballon d'Or titles than Messi, he surpasses his rival in terms of the number of red cards received. According to statistics, Ronaldo has been sent off a total of 12 times throughout his career, three times more than Messi. Notably, out of these incidents, Ronaldo has received a direct red card in seven matches.
Ronaldo's first encounter with a red card was in a match between the U17 teams of Portugal and France in 2002. That was also the only time he received a red card while playing for the national team. The remaining 11 times he was sent off were all associated with his club career. Among them, he was red-carded four times while playing for Manchester United and seven times for Real Madrid.
Interestingly, Ronaldo was once shown a red card when directly competing against Messi. This occurred during the first leg of the Spanish Super Cup match in the 2017/18 season. In that match, Ronaldo, who was not fielded until the 80th minute by coach Zinedine Zidane, came on as a substitute for Karim Benzema. He played for only 2 minutes before receiving a red card (two yellow cards combined) for his celebration after scoring a goal.
When considering the number of times they were shown red cards and had to leave the field prematurely, it is clear that Ronaldo's record surpasses Messi's. This can also be understood by looking at their respective personalities on the field. Messi is known for his calm and composed demeanor, always avoiding collisions or arguments with opposing players. On the other hand, Ronaldo is quite the opposite. The Portuguese international is fiercely competitive and is not afraid of the consequences. As a result, in moments of frustration, CR7 tends to act impulsively.
There is no doubt that Ronaldo can be considered an "arch-rival" to Messi in many aspects. However, when it comes to fair play, he falls short compared to Messi... by a long shot!
