Lionel Messi overtakes Cristiano Ronaldo for goals scored in Europe with latest PSG strike

Lionel Messi celebrates his goal for PSG against Nice in Ligue 1 in April 2023.
(Image credit: Getty Images)

Lionel Messi has overtaken Cristiano Ronaldo for goals scored in European club football after scoring for Paris Saint-Germain against Nice on Saturday.

The Argentine attacker, who was jeered by his own fans last weekend during the Parisians' loss to Lyon at the Parc des Princes, opened the scoring as he converted from a Nuno Mendes cross after 26 minutes.

That was his 702nd goal in European club football and took him ahead of Ronaldo, who scored 701 in Portugal, England, Spain and Italy before moving to Saudi Arabia earlier this year.

Messi's 702 goals in Europe have come in 95 fewer games than it took Ronaldo to net his 701.

The World Cup winner also finished with an assist as his corner was headed home by Sergio Ramos after 76 minutes to round off a 2-0 win for the Ligue 1 leaders, who are now six points ahead of second-placed Lens with eight games remaining.

Messi's goal and assist in Nice also brought up another incredible milestone for the former Barcelona attacker, who now has 1,000 goal contributions in his extraordinary club career.

Ben Hayward
Weekend editor

Ben Hayward is a European football writer and Tottenham Hotspur fan with over 15 years’ experience, he has covered games all over the world - including three World Cups, several Champions League finals, Euros, Copa America - and has spent much of that time in Spain. Ben speaks English and Spanish, currently dividing his time between Barcelona and London, covering all the big talking points of the weekend on FFT: he’s also written several list features and interviewed Guglielmo Vicario for the magazine.