Lionel Messi vs Zlatan Ibrahimovic: Lionel Messi and Zlatan Ibrahimovic are two of the greatest footballers of their generation.
Messi is a left-footed playmaker known for his amazing dribbling, vision, and goal-scoring. His low center of gravity helps him easily get past defenders.
Ibrahimovic, on the other hand, is a powerful striker known for his strength, technical skill, and incredible goals, especially in the air.
Their careers have also been different. Messi spent most of his time at Barcelona, winning many La Liga and Champions League titles, making him one of the all-time greats.
Ibrahimovic has played for several top clubs, including Ajax, Juventus, Barcelona, and AC Milan, winning league titles in different countries.
When it comes to personality, Messi is quiet, humble, and focused on his game and family. Ibrahimovic is confident, outspoken, and has a big personality both on and off the field.
Despite their differences, both are football legends, and their contrasting styles make their rivalry even more interesting for fans.
Lionel Messi vs Zlatan Ibrahimovic
In this article, we discuss and decide who is the true GOAT (Greatest of All Time).
Lionel Messi vs Zlatan Ibrahimovic All-Time Stats
Messi has scored over 860 goals in his career, while Ibrahimovic has 558 goals. Messi is known for his creativity, with over 410 assists compared to Ibrahimovic’s 229. Both are strong penalty takers, with Ibrahimovic scoring 85 penalties and Messi converting more than 110. They are both listed among the top players with penalty goals.
| TOTALS | Messi | Ibrahimovic |
|---|---|---|
| Matches | 1111 | 949 |
| Goals | 860 | 558 |
| Ratio | 0.77 | 0.58 |
| Assists | 417 | 229 |
| Penalty | 110 | 85 |
| Free Kick | 65 | 20 |
| Hat Tricks | 59 | 20 |
| Trophies | 46 | 36 |
| Ballon d’Or | 8 | – |
| European Golden Shoe | 6 | – |
Lionel Messi vs Zlatan Ibrahimovic Goals, Assists & Trophies at Club Level
In their club careers, both Lionel Messi and Zlatan Ibrahimovic have been outstanding. Messi has played over 920 matches, scored 748 goals, provided 357 assists, and won 40 trophies.
Ibrahimovic has played 827 matches, scored 496 goals, provided 204 assists, and won 32 trophies.
| Stat | Messi | Ibrahimovic |
|---|---|---|
| Matches | 922 | 827 |
| Goals | 748 | 496 |
| Assists | 357 | 204 |
| Minutes Per Goal | 101′ | 129′ |
| Minutes Played | 74.382” | 63.792′ |
| Trophies | 40 | 32 |
Lionel Messi vs Zlatan Ibrahimovic Goals, Assists & Trophies at National Level
Lionel Messi and Zlatan Ibrahimovic have been impressive in their national team careers, but Messi has the edge. Messi has played 189 matches, scored 112 goals, provided 60 assists, and won 6 trophies.
Messi has won the World Cup, 2 Copa Americas, an Olympic gold medal, and the Finalissima with Argentina.
Ibrahimovic has played 122 matches, scored 62 goals, provided 25 assists, but hasn’t won any trophies with his national team.
| Stat | Messi | Ibrahimovic |
|---|---|---|
| Matches | 189 | 122 |
| Goals | 112 | 62 |
| Assists | 60 | 25 |
| Minutes Per Goal | 142′ | 143′ |
| Minutes Played | 15.488′ | 8.882′ |
| Trophies | 6 | – |
Who’s More Impressive in the World Cup? Goals, Assists & Trophies
When it comes to World Cup performances, Lionel Messi has a much better record than Zlatan Ibrahimovic. Messi has scored 13 goals and made 8 assists in five World Cups. In comparison, Ibrahimovic played 5 World Cup matches but didn’t score any goals.
| Stat | Messi | Ibrahimovic |
|---|---|---|
| Matches | 26 | 5 |
| Goals | 13 | – |
| Assists | 8 | – |
| Penalty | 4 | – |
| Minutes Per Goal | 178′ | – |
| Minutes Played | 2.315′ | 253′ |
| World Cup | 1 | – |
Who’s More Impressive in COPA AMERICA/EURO? Goals, Assists & Trophies
When comparing Messi and Ibrahimovic in the UEFA European Championship (EURO) and Copa América, there are clear differences.
Lionel Messi has scored 13 goals and provided 5 assists in six Copa América tournaments, winning it twice, in 2021 and 2024. His performance highlights his dominance in South American football.
Ibrahimovic, on the other hand, scored 6 goals and provided 6 assists in EURO tournaments but hasn’t won the competition.
| Stat | Messi | Ibrahimovic |
|---|---|---|
| Matches | 39 | 13 |
| Goals | 14 | 6 |
| Assists | 18 | 1 |
| Penalty | 3 | 1 |
| Minutes Per Goal | 238′ | 188′ |
| Minutes Played | 3.334” | 1.128′ |
| EURO/COPA AMERICA | 2 | – |
Who’s More Impressive in Champions League? Goals, Assists & Trophies?
In the UEFA Champions League, Lionel Messi has scored 129 goals in 163 matches and leads with 45 assists. He has won the Champions League 4 times with Barcelona, in 2006, 2009, 2011, and 2015. Ibrahimovic, on the other hand, scored 48 goals in 124 matches but has not won the trophy.
| Stat | Messi | Ibrahimovic |
|---|---|---|
| Matches | 163 | 124 |
| Goals | 129 | 48 |
| Assists | 45 | 29 |
| Penalty | 18 | 5 |
| Minutes Per Goal | 105′ | 207′ |
| Minutes Played | 13.577” | 9.958′ |
| Champions League | 4 | – |
Who’s More Impressive in La Liga? Goals, Assists & Trophies?
In La Liga, both Lionel Messi and Zlatan Ibrahimovic have impressive records, but Messi’s achievements stand out.
Messi scored 474 goals in 520 matches, averaging 0.91 goals per match. He also provided 216 assists and won 10 La Liga titles with Barcelona.
Ibrahimovic, during his time at Barcelona, scored 16 goals in 29 matches, made 2 assists, and won 1 La Liga title.
Messi leads in both goals and assists, and his multiple titles underline his incredible success and contribution to Spanish football.
| Stat | Messi | Ibrahimovic |
|---|---|---|
| Matches | 520 | 29 |
| Goals | 474 | 16 |
| Assists | 216 | 9 |
| Penalty | 60 | 2 |
| Minutes Per Goal | 89′ | 127′ |
| Minutes Played | 42.148′ | 2.030′ |
| La Liga | 10 | 1 |
Who’s More Impressive in Ligue 1? Goals, Assists & Trophies?
In Ligue 1, both Lionel Messi and Zlatan Ibrahimovic have impressive records, though they differ in key areas. Lionel Messi scored 22 goals in 58 matches and provided 31 assists. He won 2 Ligue 1 titles with Paris Saint-Germain.
Ibrahimovic scored 56 goals in 113 matches and provided 29 assists, winning 1 Ligue 1 title with PSG.
| Stat | Messi | Ibrahimovic |
|---|---|---|
| Matches | 58 | 122 |
| Goals | 22 | 113 |
| Assists | 31 | 44 |
| Penalty | – | 24 |
| Minutes Per Goal | 227′ | 91′ |
| Minutes Played | 4.994′ | 10.301′ |
| Ligue 1 | 2 | 4 |
Who’s More Impressive in MLS? Goals, Assists & Trophies?
Both Messi and Ibrahimovic have made notable impacts in their respective leagues outside Europe.
Ibrahimovic played for LA Galaxy in MLS, scoring 52 goals in 56 matches. Messi joined Inter Miami in MLS in July 2023 and has scored 21 goals and provided 12 assists so far.
| Stat | Messi | Ibrahimovic |
|---|---|---|
| Matches | 25 | 56 |
| Goals | 21 | 52 |
| Assists | 12 | 14 |
| Penalty | 1 | 10 |
| Minutes Per Goal | 100′ | 91′ |
| Minutes Played | 1.497′ | 4.753′ |
| MLS | 1 | – |
Lionel Messi vs Zlatan Ibrahimovic Matches Against Each Other
Lionel Messi and Zlatan Ibrahimovic have faced each other 8 times across various competitions. Messi has the edge, winning 5 of those matches, with 3 ending in draws. Messi has scored 5 goals, while Ibrahimovic has scored 3 goals in these encounters.
| Matches | Messi W | D | Ibrahimovic W | Messi G | Ibrahimovic G |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 3 |
Who Has More Trophies?
Lionel Messi has a slight edge over Zlatan Ibrahimovic in terms of total trophies won.
Messi has 44 trophies, including 10 La Liga titles, 4 UEFA Champions League titles, and 7 Copa del Rey victories. His international honors include the Copa América (2021, 2024), the World Cup (2022), and the Finalissima (2022).
Ibrahimovic has won 32 trophies, including 5 Serie A titles, 1 La Liga title, and 4 Ligue 1 titles.
| Competition | Messi | Ibrahimovic |
|---|---|---|
| Eredivisie | – | 2 |
| KNVB Cup | – | 1 |
| Johan Cruyff Shield | – | 1 |
| Serie A | – | 5 |
| Italian Super Cup | – | 3 |
| UEFA Champions League | 4 | – |
| FIFA Club World Cup | 3 | 1 |
| La Liga | 10 | 1 |
| Copa del Rey | 7 | |
| Spanish Super Cup | 7 | 2 |
| UEFA Super Cup | 3 | 1 |
| Ligue 1 | 2 | 4 |
| Champions Trophy | 1 | 3 |
| French Cup | – | 2 |
| League Cup | 1 | 3 |
| FIFA World Youth Championship | 1 | – |
| Olympic Games | 1 | – |
| FIFA World Cup | 1 | – |
| Copa America | 2 | – |
| Finalissima | 1 | – |
| UEFA Europa League | – | 1 |
| EFL Cup | – | 1 |
| FA Community Shield | – | 1 |
| TOTAL | 44 | 32 |
Who Has More Individual Awards?
Lionel Messi has won more individual awards than Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
Messi has claimed the Ballon d’Or 8 times, the FIFA World Player of the Year 4 times, and the UEFA Best Player in Europe Award 3 times. He has also won the Golden Shoe 6 times as Europe’s top scorer.
Ibrahimovic has won the Player of the Year 3 times, the Footballer of the Year 15 times, and the FIFA Puskas Award once.
Messi has a total of 69 individual awards, while Ibrahimovic has 25. This shows Messi’s slight edge in individual honors.
| Awards | Messi | Ibrahimovic |
|---|---|---|
| The Best FIFA Men’s Player | 4 | – |
| Player of the Year | 9 | 3 |
| Ballon d’Or | 8 | – |
| European Golden Shoe | 6 | – |
| UEFA Best Player in Europe | 3 | – |
| Top Goalscorer | 23 | 6 |
| TM-Player of the season | 4 | – |
| Olympic Medalist | 1 | – |
| Footballer of the Year | – | 15 |
| Pichichi Trophy | 8 | – |
| FIFA Puskas Award | 1 | |
| FIFA World Cup Golden Ball | 2 | – |
| FIFA World Cup Silver Ball | 1 | – |
| TOTAL | 69 | 25 |
Who Scores More Penalty Goals?
Lionel Messi has scored more penalty goals than Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
Messi has taken 141 penalties, scoring 110 and missing 31, with a success rate of 78%.
Ibrahimovic has taken 104 penalties, scoring 87 and missing 17, with a success rate of 83%.
| Penalty | Messi | Ibrahimovic |
|---|---|---|
| Total Penalty Taken | 141 | 104 |
| Total Penalty Scored | 110 | 87 |
| Total Penalty Missed | 31 | 17 |
| Success Rate | 78% | 83% |
Who Scores More Free Kick Goals?
Messi is renowned for his precision in free kicks, having scored around 65 free-kick goals in his career. In comparison, Ibrahimovic has scored approximately 18 free-kick goals.
| Messi | Ibrahimovic |
|---|---|
| 65 | 18 |
Who Has More Hat Tricks?
Lionel Messi has more hat tricks than Zlatan Ibrahimovic. Messi has around 59 hat tricks, while Ibrahimovic has over 20.
| Messi | Ibrahimovic |
|---|---|
| 59 | 20 |
Who’s the Better Passer?
Lionel Messi is generally considered the better passer. His creativity, precision, and vision on the field are unmatched.
Who’s the Best Dribbler?
Lionel Messi is widely regarded as the best dribbler. Ibrahimovic is also a skilled dribbler, Messi’s dribbling ability is generally considered superior.
Who Has the Best Heading Skills?
Zlatan Ibrahimovic is known for his excellent heading skills. His strength and timing make him a big threat in the air, with many goals from crosses and set-pieces.
Who Is Faster?
Ibrahimovic is strong and powerful, but he’s not as fast as Messi.
Who’s the Ultimate Winner?
Between Lionel Messi and Zlatan Ibrahimovic, most people think Lionel Messi is the better player.