Messi v Ronaldo: who’s the GOAT? Computer model may help to settle the debate

Researchers at KU Leuven and data intelligence company SciSports have developed a new algorithm to assess football players' on-the-ball actions. Their model goes beyond traditional player statistics like the number of goals and assists, offering a more complete assessment of a player's performance and contribution to his team. For more than a decade, Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi have been the dominant forces in international football. Both have a strong claim to the title of the Greatest of All Time, or GOAT: both players have an amazing track record; they've each scored more than 600 goals for their club and country; and both are five-time winners of the Ballon d'Or . On paper, therefore, it's impossible to identify the one and only GOAT. But a new model developed in Belgium and the Netherlands may have the solution. Considering all on-the-ball-actions: who's the GOAT?. Researchers from KU Leuven and data intelligence company SciSports (the Netherlands) have developed an algorithm to value a player's impact on the game.