Take two football greats with two different styles, and you get a whole lot of goals.
The rivalry between Barcelona’s Lionel Messi and Real Madrid’s Cristiano Ronaldo has dominated the back-page headlines — not just in Spain, but across the world — thanks to their phenomenal goalscoring feats.
Portugal captain Ronaldo — who won his third World Player of the Year award in January — has netted 61 times since their campaign started in August, already beating last season’s tally of 50.
Meanwhile, Argentina skipper Messi has two games to overhaul that total, with the four-time Ballon d’Or winner having scored 56 goals in all competitions for his club ahead of the Spanish Cup and Champions League finals.
Goals from the UEFA Super Cup (USC), Copa Del Rey (CDR), the European Champions League (CL) and La Liga (LIGA) are listed below in chronological order — and with more matches left to play, it’s still anyone’s game.
August 2014: Ronaldo 3, Messi 2
Ronaldo (2) vs. Sevilla FC, Aug 12 (USC)
Messi (2) vs. Elche, Aug 24 (LIGA)
Ronaldo vs. Cordoba, Aug 25 (LIGA)
September 2014: Ronaldo 13, Messi 6
Ronaldo vs. Atletico Madrid, Sept 13 (LIGA)
Ronaldo vs. FC Basel, Sept 16 (CL)
Ronaldo (3) vs. Deportivo La Coruna, Sept 20 (LIGA)
Messi vs. Levante, Sept 21 (LIGA)
Ronaldo (4) vs. Elche, Sept 23 (LIGA)
Ronaldo vs. Villarreal, Sept 27 (LIGA)
Messi (2) vs. Granada, Sept 27 (LIGA)
Messi vs. Granada, Sept 27 (LIGA)
Messi vs. Paris St. Germain, Sept 30 (CL)
October 2014: Ronaldo 21, Messi 9
Ronaldo vs. Ludogorets Razgrad, Oct 1 (CL)
Messi vs. Rayo Vallecano, Oct 4 (LIGA)
Ronaldo (3) vs. Athletic Bilbao, Oct 5 (LIGA)
Ronaldo (2) vs. Levante, Oct 18 (LIGA)
Messi vs. Eibar, Oct 18 (LIGA)
Messi vs. Ajax, Oct 21 (CL)
Ronaldo vs. Liverpool, Oct 22 (CL)
Ronaldo vs. Barcelona, Oct 25 (LIGA)
November 2014: Ronaldo 26, Messi 17
Ronaldo vs. Granada, Nov 1 (LIGA)
Messi (2) vs. Ajax, Nov 5 (CL)
Ronaldo vs. Rayo Vallecano, Nov 8 (LIGA)
Messi (3) vs. Sevilla, Nov 22 (LIGA)
Ronaldo (2) vs. Eibar, Nov 22 (LIGA)
Messi (3) vs. Apoel FC, Nov 25 (CL)
Ronaldo vs. FC Basel, Nov 26 (CL)
December 2014: Ronaldo 32, Messi 23
Ronaldo (3) vs. Celta Vigo, Dec 6 (LIGA)
Messi (3) vs. Espanyol, Dec 7 (LIGA)
Ronaldo vs. Ludogorets Razgrad, Dec 9 (CL)
Messi vs. Paris St. Germain, Dec 10 (CL)
Ronaldo (2) vs. Almeria, Dec 12 (LIGA)
Messi (2) vs. Cordoba, Dec 20 (LIGA)
January 2015: Ronaldo 36, Messi 31
Ronaldo vs. Valencia, Jan 4 (LIGA)
Messi vs. Elche, Jan 8 (CDR)
Messi vs. Atletico Madrid, Jan 11 (LIGA)
Ronaldo vs. Atletico Madrid, Jan 15 (CDR)
Ronaldo (2) vs. Getafe, Jan 18 (LIGA)
Messi (3) vs. Deportivo La Coruna, Jan 18 (LIGA)
Messi vs. Atletico Madrid, Jan 21 (CDR)
Messi (2) vs. Elche, Jan 24 (LIGA)
February 2015: Ronaldo 38, Messi 38
Messi vs. Villarreal, Feb 1 (LIGA)
Messi vs. Athletic Bilbao, Feb 8 (LIGA)
Messi vs. Villarreal, Feb 11 (CDR)
Messi (3) vs. Levante, Feb 15 (LIGA)
Ronaldo vs. Schalke, Feb 18 (CL)
Ronaldo vs. Elche, Feb 22 (LIGA)
Messi vs. Granada, Feb 28 (LIGA)
March 2015: Ronaldo 42, Messi 43
Ronaldo vs. Villarreal, Mar 1 (LIGA)
Messi (3) vs. Rayo Vallecano, Mar 8 (LIGA)
Ronaldo (2) vs. Schalke, Mar 10 (CL)
Messi (2) vs. Eibar, Mar 14 (LIGA)
Ronaldo vs. Barcelona, Mar 22 (LIGA)
April 2015: Ronaldo 50, Messi 49
Ronaldo (5) vs. Granada, Apr 5 (LIGA)
Messi vs. Almeria, Apr 8 (LIGA)
Ronaldo vs. Rayo Vallecano, Apr 8 (LIGA)
Messi vs. Sevilla, Apr 11 (LIGA)
Ronaldo vs. Eibar, Apr 11 (LIGA)
Messi vs. Valencia, Apr 18 (LIGA)
Ronaldo vs. Malaga, Apr 18 (LIGA)
Messi vs. Espanyol, Apr 25 (LIGA)
Messi (2) vs. Getafe, Apr 28 (LIGA)
May 2015: Ronaldo 61, Messi 58
Messi (2) vs. Cordoba, May 2 (LIGA)
Ronaldo (3) vs. Sevilla, May 2 (LIGA)
Ronaldo vs. Juventus, May 4 (CL)
Messi (2) vs. Bayern Munich, May 6 (CL)
Ronaldo vs. Juventus, May 13 (CL)
Messi vs. Atletico Madrid, May 17 (LIGA)
Ronaldo (3) vs. Espanyol, May 17 (LIGA)
Messi (2) vs. Deportivo La Coruna, May 23 (LIGA)
Ronaldo (3) vs. Getafe, May 23 (LIGA)
Messi (2) vs Athletic Bilboa, May 30 (CDR)
