Who’s better, Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo?

The question has become football’s biggest debate over the last few years, with fans on both sides poring over stats, trophy wins, awards, and everything else they can find to prove their hero is No1. And EA Sports has often silently waded into the argument, with the number that should settle it all – each player’s FIFA rating.

It’s hard to believe, but there was a time when Ronaldo was rated 13 points higher than Messi. That was back in 2006, when Ronaldo had established himself at Manchester United while Messi was still an exciting youngster looking to break through at Barcelona.

Since then, their FIFA ratings have fluctuated, with Messi overtaking his rival at one point, only for Ronaldo to pull himself back. This year, it’s the Real Madrid man who’s on top, by just a point over Messi.

On Thursday, there was a new wrinkle, with the Ballon d’Or going to Ronaldo, equalling Messi’s haul of five trophies. Let the debate continue. Meanwhile, have a look at how each player has fared on FIFA in the video above.