Lionel Messi’s run in the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 came to an end in the Round of 16, where he faced his former team and reigning UEFA Champions League winners, Paris Saint-Germain. With the disappointing result, the Argentine legend fell short of matching Cristiano Ronaldo’s historic record in the tournament.
Messi and Ronaldo have battled at the highest level of soccer for over a decade, pushing each other to new heights and breaking records along the way. This time, the Portuguese star remains ahead in one of the Club World Cup’s most exclusive rankings.
Unable to find the back of the net against PSG, Lionel Messi was left one goal shy of catching Cristiano Ronaldo as the Club World Cup’s all-time leading scorer. Ronaldo still holds the record with seven goals in the tournament, while Messi finishes with six.
Top 10 Club World Cup scorers
The expanded 2025 format gave players more chances to add to their totals, with at least three group-stage matches on offer. Still, even without participating this year, Cristiano Ronaldo remains at the top of the leaderboard:
Cristiano Ronaldo: 7 goals in 8 games.Karim Benzema: 6 goals in 11 games.Luis Suarez: 6 goals in 6 games.Lionel Messi: 6 goals in 9 games.Gareth Bale: 6 goals in 6 games.Cesar Delgado: 5 goals in 6 games.Salem Al-Dawsari: 5 goals in 12 games.Federico Valverde: 5 goals in 5 games.Vinicius Junior: 4 goals in 6 games.Hussein El Shahat: 4 goals in 18 games.
see also
PSG crushes Messi’s Inter Miami 4-0 at FIFA Club World Cup 2025: Watch all the goals
Messi’s final Club World Cup performance
Messi’s Club World Cup 2025 campaign concluded with a heavy 4–0 loss to PSG, who secured the result with a dominant first half. Still, the Argentine star led an Inter Miami side that exceeded expectations and made a statement on the international stage.
In a tense opening draw against Al Ahly, goalkeeper Mohamed El-Shenawy was a standout, denying multiple Messi attempts in a scoreless affair. Against Porto, Messi delivered a stunning free-kick goal to lead Inter Miami to a surprising win. And in the final group-stage match against Palmeiras, he continued to threaten in the attacking third.
While some may view the loss to PSG as a harsh reality check, Inter Miami were the only MLS team to advance past the group stage—an achievement in itself. With the next Club World Cup not expected until 2029, Messi’s performance once again added to his enduring legacy, defying the odds in yet another international competition.
