Lionel Messi has OUTPERFORMED Cristiano Ronaldo in the last 5 years with this insane stat

The Lionel Messi vs Cristiano Ronaldo debate has remained perennial since the duo's rise to greatness and continues to do so as the Ballon d'Or regulars edge towards the final few years of their scintillating careers. And while both their teams are far from their trophy-laden years, Messi and Ronaldo have continued to enjoy successful individual campaigns. The former currently has the edge over his eternal rival as the Lionel Messi vs Cristiano Ronaldo stats for the last five seasons show. 

Lionel Messi Cristiano Ronaldo record: Barca ace has outperformed Ronaldo for last five seasons 

As per Barca 19 stats, Lionel Messi has considerably outperformed his eternal rival, Cristiano Ronaldo, over the last five seasons. The Barcelona skipper has amassed a staggering 162 goals in the last five years, which is more than what the Portuguese ace has managed in goals and assists combined. Messi has outscored Ronaldo this season as well, scoring 30 goals in LaLiga to clinch his record eight Pichichi title and his fifth consecutive top scorer award. The six-time Ballon d'Or winner finished the season with 38 goals in 47 games across all competitions. In comparison, Ronaldo has scored 36 goals in 44 games across all competitions this term and lifted his first Capocannoniere since moving to Italy in 2018. 

Messi has consistently been atop the scoring and assists charts over the last five seasons, while Ronaldo has struggled to replicate his Real Madrid numbers in Juventus during his first season in Italy. The six-time Ballon d'Or has been consistently reaching the 50 G+A every season. The 33-year-old in fact scored more than 50 goals in two seasons during this period, scoring 54 in 2016/17 and 51 in the 2018/19 season. Ronaldo meanwhile has not managed to surpass the 50-goal mark in any of the last five seasons, with his best being the 44 goal season he had in his final year at Real Madrid. The five-time Ballon d'Or winner has failed to cross the 40-goal mark in his three years at Juventus, even falling to as low as 28 in the 2018/19 season. 

Ronaldo was in fine form this season even as Juventus struggled but eventually managed to eke out Champions League qualification. The former Real Madrid superstar has scored 29 goals in just 33 Serie A games this season, to finish the campaign with 36 goals in 44 games across all competitions. The 36-year-old will hope to carry his form into the upcoming European championships as Portugal look to defend their title. Here are the Portugal EURO 2020 fixtures:

• Tuesday 15 June: Hungary vs Portugal (9:30 PM, Budapest)
• Saturday 19 June: Portugal vs Germany (9:30 PM, Munich)
• Thursday 24 June: Portugal v France (12:30 AM, Budapest)

(Image Courtesy: Juventus, Barcelona Instagram)