Messi Threatens Ronaldo's Club World Cup Record as Inter Miami Eyes Title

Lionel Messi is aiming to supplant Cristiano Ronaldo as the all-time leading scorer at the Club World Cup, with both players set to take the field in the United States this summer. Ronaldo has opted to compete at the tournament with Al-Nassr, despite receiving approaches from Botafogo, River Plate, and Al-Hilal. The Nations League winner will face stiff competition from Messi and Inter Miami, who are seeking to lift the trophy in New Jersey on July 13.

Key Takeaways:

Cristiano Ronaldo has played at four Club World Cups, winning the tournament each time with Manchester United and Real Madrid, and netting a total of seven goals.
Lionel Messi has appeared at the Club World Cup four times, winning three tournaments and scoring five goals in five appearances.
Ronaldo has changed the competition format, which previously allowed him and Messi to enter the tournament at the semi-final stage and win the trophy with just two matches.
Messi scored in his Club World Cup debut against Atlas in 2009, assisted in the semi-final against Al-Sadd in 2011, and scored in the final against River Plate in 2015.
Ronaldo has netted a hat-trick in the 2016 final against Kashima Antlers, and has also scored in the semi-finals against Al-Jazira in 2017 and the final against Gremio in the same year.

Statistics:

Cristiano Ronaldo has played in four Club World Cups, winning the tournament every time.
Ronaldo has netted a total of seven goals in the Club World Cup.
Lionel Messi has won three Club World Cup tournaments and scored five goals in five appearances.
Messi scored his first goal in the Club World Cup in 2009 against Atlas.
Ronaldo has averaged 1.75 goals per match in the Club World Cup competition.

Sources:

Ronaldo has played for Manchester United and Real Madrid in the Club World Cup.
Messi has played for Barcelona in the Club World Cup, winning the tournament three times.
The tournament format has changed, with 32 teams competing in the new format.