Once again, the Lionel Messi versus Cristiano Ronaldo debate is trending worldwide.

Whenever one or the other shines in a particular game, the never-ending question pops up all over social media, with loyal fans defending their chosen Messiah.

Last night, it was Ronaldo who stirred the pot after he scored four goals in a 5-1 win over Lithuania for Portugal - taking him to 93 international goals.

Many believe Ronaldo's prowess on the international stage is what sets him apart from Messi and it's certainly an argument worth considering.

No player in European history has scored more goals for their country and Ronaldo is just 17 shy of breaking Ali Daei's famous record for Iran.

Ronaldo has also won the European Championship and UEFA Nations League, while Messi has had to make do with four silver medals on the international stage (One World Cup and three Copa America).

So surely it's Ronaldo who is the international GOAT?

It's hard to disagree, but when it comes to statistics, Messi still just about comes out on top despite Ronaldo's four-goal salvo against Lithuania.

The Barcelona superstar is still averaging more goals and assists per game than his eternal rival.

In 136 games, Messi has scored 68 goals and registered 44 assists, a goal involvement average of 0.82.

As for Ronaldo, he has managed 93 goals and 37 assists in his 160 games, working out an average of 0.81 goal involvements per game.

Razor-thin margins, but Messi just about edges it.

What these stats should do is further reinforce the point that it's almost not worth trying to decipher if one or the other is superior.

Both are setting standards that many thought to be impossible in modern football.

So it's best to just sit back, relax and enjoy the two greatest to have ever played the game strut their stuff week in week out.