The great duel between Messi and Ronaldo

Even at the peak of the careers of such outstanding goalscorers like Gerd Muller, Ferenc Puskas and Ronaldo (of Brazil), the phrase 'he gets his customary goal' might never have been used. Ever since the European Golden Shoe for the player who scores the most goals in a league season was introduced in 1967, only 12 players have scored over 40 a season - nine of those in the lesser leagues of Portugal, Romania and Austria.
In general, 30-plus goals a season in one of the top European leagues is considered an exceptional haul. But over the last few years - three to be precise - two men have made a mockery of goalscoring trends. So much so that a leading football journalist wrote in his weekly analysis of European football that, '(Lionel) Messi and (Cristiano) Ronaldo got their customary goals for Barcelona and Real Madrid'.
What Messi and Ronaldo have achieved at the relative young ages of 24 and 27 respectively is best put into context when one considers that single-handedly (or doublehanded if you will), the pair has turned what is arguably the world's strongest league into not just a two team affair, but also their own personal battleground. If one scores a goal, the other replies with a brace only to be undone by a hattrick by the nemesis soon after.
In fact, when both players failed to score in the Champions League some times back, it was a statistical oddity. It was for just the second time since La Liga's winter break and the sixth in the season that either Messi or Ronaldo had not scored in a set of fixtures, be it in the League, the Champions League or the Spanish Cup.
Both have unbelievable talent and inexorable passion. And both seem to push each other to keep improving and scoring goals every single day.
Both were household names even before they were pitted against each other. The 'face-off' has brought the best out of them. After a remarkable 2007-08 season in which he scored 42 goals in all competitions for Manchester United, Ronaldo came to the La Liga after the relative personal dip of the 2008-09 season in which he netted just 26 times. Messi, meanwhile, amassed 38 goals for Barca in his breakout year of 2008-09.
While Ronaldo hit 33 goals from 35 games in his first season at Real, Messi answered for the Blaugrana with 45 from 52. When Ronaldo became the first-ever to hit 40 league goals in a La Liga season in 2010-11, Messi scored 12 in the Champions League and 31 in the league to lead Barca to a double. And in this season so far, Ronaldo's 37 goals from 30 games in La Liga edges Messi's 36 from 29. However, the Argentine's overall tally of 58 from 49 games leaves Ronaldo's 49 from 48 trailing behind.
Messi's wonderful left-foot, close control, dribbling skills, positional awareness and the insurmountable work-rate make him a real nightmare for rivals. Not for nothing, he is feted as the best on the planet.
On the other hand, Ronaldo's goalscoring record is remarkable for someone who plays out wide. His goals against Real Sociedad last saturday made him the fastest-ever to 100 league goals in Spain (101 from 92 games), eclipsing Puskas (105 games). In a team that includes world class attackers in Benzema, Gonzalo Higuain, Mesut Ozil and Kaka, this is truly astounding.
Football may not be all about scoring goals... or is it?
Most Goals Scored In A Season In Europe (All Competitions):
Gerd Muller (Bayern Munich): 67 in 1972-73
Dixie Dean (Everton): 63 in 1927-28
Lionel Messi (Barcelona): 58 in ongoing season
Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid): 53 in 2010-11
Lionel Messi (Barcelona): 53 in 2010-11
Gerd Muller (Bayern Munich): 50 in 1971-72
Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid): 49 in ongoing season
Luis Suarez (Ajax): 49 in 2009-10
Josip Skoblar (Marseille): 49 in 1970-71
*Records from the Leagues of Portugal, Scotland, Hungary, Albania, Estonia, Northern Ireland and Turkey have been ignored ** A record sometimes ignored as it includes 12 goals in 5 games in the inaugural DFB-Ligapokal, or German League Cup. After that season, the Cup was held for the second time only 25 years later in 1997 and was finally abolished in 2007. Muller's 55 goals in other competitions would still put him third in the list.
GOLDEN SHOE WINNERS*
1996-97: Luis Ronaldo (Barcelona) - 34 (68 pts)
1997-98: Nikos Machlas (Vitesse) - 34 (68 pts)
1998-99: Mario Jardel (Porto) - 36 (72 pts)
1999-2000: Kevin Phillips (Sunderland) - 30 (60 pts)
2000-01: Henrik Larsson (Celtic) - 35 (52.5 pts)
2001-02: Mario Jardel (Sporting) - 42 (63 pts)
2002-03: Roy Makaay (Deportivo La Coruna) - 29 (58 pts)
2003-04: Thierry Henry (Arsenal) - 30 (60 pts)
2004-05: Thierry Henry (Arsenal) & Diego Forlan (Villarreal) - 25 (50 pts)
2005-06: Luca Toni (Fiorentina) - 31 (62 pts)
2006-07: Francesco Totti (Roma) - 26 (52 pts)
2007-08: Cristiano Ronaldo (Man United) - 31 (62 pts)
2008-09: Diego Forlan (Atletico Madrid) - 32 (64 pts)
2009-10: Lionel Messi (Barcelona) - 34 (68 pts)
2010-11: Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid) - 40 (80 pts)
*The Golden Shoe, for the leading scorer in leagues in Europe in a season, has since 1997 been based on a points system that takes into account the relative strengths of the different leagues.