Did Lionel Messi’s 48th Career Title Finally Settle The GOAT Debate Against Ronaldo?
Lionel Messi's 48th career title the MLS Cup and his superior efficiency stats (53.8 mins/goal contribution) have reignited the GOAT debate, despite his 2022 World Cup win, against Ronaldo's raw goal numbers in the SPL.
The debate continues: Is Messi's superior goal contribution rate in MLS more important than Ronaldo's high volume of goals in the Saudi Pro League?
The global football conversation has just been violently snapped back into the argument, not by a World Cup, but by an MLS Cup, courtesy of Lionel Messi. The Argentine maestro has crowned his tenure with Inter Miami by winning the MLS Cup 2025 against the Vancouver Whitecaps, securing the franchise's first-ever league title and expanding his own trophy haul to a near-mythical 48 official titles a feat that decisively entrenches him as the most decorated footballer in history.
The 38 year old Argentine, who now stands as the definitive global benchmark, has had a scintillating final season in the United States, finishing the campaign with 29 goals and 16 assists in 28 league games. Messi had unusually come into the final having already secured the Supporters’ Shield and MLS MVP, yet the league title itself was the final, critical piece of the American chapter, further cementing his adaptability in the later stages of his career.
But he got back among the goals and assists with a lovely flourish, steering Inter Miami to a 3-1 victory, securing the win with two critical assists in the second half of a thrilling encounter. Even though many believed his 2022 World Cup win settled the GOAT debate forever, this latest collective triumph has instantly reignited the high-stakes, long-running argument, as fans are still passionately arguing over the different impacts of Ronaldo in Saudi Arabia versus Messi in MLS.
This superior efficiency dramatically outpaced his rival's contribution rate of a goal or assist every 87.4 minutes (Ronaldo in SPL) in the same season, highlighting Messi’s unique status as the most efficient goal contributor and team elevating player. The final title also gives Messi 48 career trophies against Cristiano Ronaldo's 34 a statistical separation that many believe definitively closes the book on the debate, even as fan arguments continue unabated.
Inter Miami co-owner David Beckham, who was instrumental in bringing Messi to the club, summed up the historic victory:
"It has to be one of the greatest moments in my career to have won it as a player and now to have won it as an owner... Thank God I signed the greatest player of all time.”
