3 reasons why both Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo could end up with over 700 goals in their club careers

Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are two of the finest footballers of all time, and both of them have won a plethora of trophies in their glittering careers.

Messi has scored 39 goals this season so far, and Ronaldo is not far behind with 24 goals. Both are outstanding footballers, and can still win matches almost single-handedly for their respective teams. Messi has scored 591 goals for Barcelona till date, and Ronaldo has 595 goals for various clubs like Man United, Real Madrid, and Juventus so far.

Both of them are very close to scoring 600 goals in their respective careers, and can actually aim for 700 goals in their respective club careers. Their stats are already staggering but would reach the realm of incredibility if they go on to play successfully for a few more seasons.

Let's take a look at 3 reasons why they might actually achieve that seemingly impossible feat.

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#1 Both are still very fit and hungry

Messi is still carrying Barca almost single-handedly

Both Messi and Ronaldo are very fit and still retain the hunger for scoring goals. Messi scored a hattrick against Real Betis last night to take his tally to 39 goals this season. On the other hand, Ronaldo scored a hattrick against Atletico Madrid to take Juve into the UCL quarterfinal. Both of them have got very able striking partners in Luis Suarez and Paolo Dybala respectively.

If they go on to play for 3 more seasons, there is no reason why they cannot reach the elusive target of scoring 700 goals. It is still very much within their reach, and they might already have it on their minds. Both Messi and Ronaldo are fierce competitors, and one great performance from either of them usually motivates the other to perform exceptionally.

Moreover, they also have very able teammates who usually help them a lot with crucial passes and assists. Messi benefited a lot from having Xavi and Andres Iniesta as his teammates, whereas Ronaldo has had teammates like Ryan Giggs, Gareth Bale, and Luka Modric. Both of them have played for star-studded club teams, and it has helped them achieve those unbelievable stats.

All stats via transfermarkt

#2 Both of them hardly play international football anymore

Ronaldo won Euro 2016 with Portugal

Both of them have almost retired from international football and can concentrate solely on their club careers. Messi has been recently recalled to the Argentine national team but is unlikely to play for them beyond Copa America 2019. The same is true for Ronaldo, who might not play for Portugal ever again. He has achieved a lot with the national team, and can now solely focus on his career with Juve.

Messi has often been unfairly accused because of his inability to win a major tournament for Argentina. However, it needs to be remembered that he took Argentina to 3 major finals in 2 years spanning from 2014 to 2016.

Ronaldo, on the other hand, won Euro 2016 with Portugal, but could not do very well in World Cups. He is about to retire as an international player and should be able to give his all in club football.

#3 Most of the teams these days do not have top-class defenders

Both Messi and Ronaldo have scored heaps of goals against teams with weaker defences

Most of the teams in today's football do not have a great defence. Moreover, referees also do not hesitate in awarding penalties at the slightest of mistakes on the part of the defenders. The introduction of VAR also means that there is a very slim chance of referees giving the benefit of doubt to the defenders. As a result, a lot of goals are usually scored these days.

Barcelona is used to being involved in high-scoring matches. They beat Sevilla 4-2, Real Betis 5-1, and Olympique Lyon 5-1, to mention three of their matches in the last one month. They also beat Real Madrid 3-0 in the Clasico a few weeks ago. Quite naturally, Messi is usually involved in most of those goals. Therefore, his goal-tally is bound to increase as long as he keeps playing.

Ronaldo would find it more difficult to score in the more defensive-minded Serie A, as most of the clubs there give extra emphasis on defensive football. Still, he has scored a lot of goals in his debut season there, and there is no reason why he cannot continue like this for the next few seasons.