The Barcelona superstar and Patriots quarterback are both living legends — but which one has been more impressive in their sport?
Lionel Messi and Tom Brady are often considered the greatest of all time in their respective sports. Messi has won everything there is to win on the club level in soccer, while Brady has a handful of Super Bowl rings and can add one more on Sunday. Both have racked up unbelievable amounts of individual honors during their careers on their way to becoming living legends.
Although Brady is 10 years older than Messi, the New England Patriots quarterback got his career off to a later start than the Barcelona superstar. But for nearly two decades the two have been in the global spotlight and have only gotten better and better with no end point in sight.
Which player has accomplished more? Who has had more of an impact on their sport? Goal takes a closer look at who will go down in history with a more impressive career:
GettyBallons d'Or/NFL MVP awards
Messi – 5
Brady – 2
It may seem strange to even compare the two honors but allow us to explain…
Both the Ballon d'Or and the NFL MVP award are given to the best player in the sport over the year. Despite there being several more teams and players to choose from in soccer, the winner will most likely be someone who has carried his team deep into the Champions League. The NFL is much like the Champions League due to the fact it's a league comprised of the best teams and players in the world competing each week. Long story short, it's equally impressive to individually stand out from the rest in both soccer and the NFL.
It's been a two-man race between Messi and Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo for the Ballon d'Or over the past 10 years, with the Argentine forward being named the world's best player a record-tying five times. The NFL seems to have more competition for its MVP award than the Ballon d'Or, as there have been seven different winners over the same span.
But Brady was named MVP only twice during his 17-year career and Messi has won the Ballon d'Or five times over 13 years.
Edge: Messi
AdvertisementGetty ImagesEuropean Golden Shoes/Passing Touchdowns Leader
Messi – 4
Brady – 4
Messi has led all players in Europe in scoring four times, while Brady has led the NFL in touchdown passes in four seasons. Messi has had to compete with thousands of players as Brady is up against only 31 other starting QBs each year. But don't let that fool you.
We can partially credit Messi's goal-scoring totals to the fact Barcelona plays in La Liga, where the Blaugrana are consistently more talented than their opposition most weeks. Messi has had a list of all-time greats playing with him, with players like Andres Iniesta, Xavi Hernandez, Neymar, Ronaldinho, Thierry Henry, Samuel Eto'o and Luis Suarez sharing the attacking load and making the job a bit easier on the Argentine.
Brady, on the other hand, goes head to head with the best quarterbacks on the planet each week. He also has to face the top defensive players in the world every time he takes the field. On top of that, the talent around Brady has not always been world class. Aside from Randy Moss – who was seemingly past his prime when he joined New England in 2007 – and Rob Gronkowski, the Patriots QB has worked with a list of pass-catchers that is entirely underwhelming. It's telling that the first year Moss and Brady played together they set an NFL record for touchdowns by a duo.
Edge: Brady
Getty ImagesChampions League titles/Super Bowl wins
Messi – 4
Brady – 5
The most realistic comparison of any soccer league in the world to the NFL is the Champions League. The top club competition pits Europe's top teams and players against each other each meeting, with 32 of the best teams in Europe making the group stage. The NFL doesn't have any competing leagues, which makes the 32-team league ultra competitive all season.
Messi has led Barcelona to Champions League titles four times and Brady has a record five Super Bowl trophies to his name. The QB has a very good chance to add another ring against the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LII.
The fact Brady has won more championships in the NFL than Messi in the Champions League makes this category an easy one to decide.
Edge: Brady
Getty ImagesLa Liga titles/AFC East titles
Messi – 8
Brady – 15
How can we compare a four-team NFL division to the 20-team Primera Division? That's a good question but hear us out…
The 32-team NFL is divided up by eight divisions. Brady's Patriots have dominated the AFC East since he became their starting QB, which has given them an easy path to the playoffs almost every season.
La Liga may feature more teams, but recently it's been a two or three-team race between Barcelona, Real Madrid and Atletico for the title. With the top three in the table earning a Champions League berth, Barca is nearly a lock to play in Europe every year.
But due to the poor play of opposing AFC East teams over the past 18 years and the fact Barcelona has to compete with Real Madrid for first place, it's more impressive for Messi to win La Liga than Brady to win his division.
Edge: Messi