Cristiano Ronaldo has been on fire ever since Lionel Messi scooped his sixth Ballon d'Or on December 2.

Since that day, no player has scored more goals than the Portuguese, with the Juventus man striking on no less than 14 occasions.

However, Ronaldo's slow(ish) start to the season means he is still lagging behind the competition when it comes to goal involvements across Europe.

The 35-year-old is usually close to the top of the pile, but with data used from Transfermarkt, we can reveal that the 35-year-old is 22nd when it comes to goal involvements in Europe's top 15 leagues.

Below, you will find the 21 players ahead of Ronaldo and there are certainly a few surprises.

22. Cristiano Ronaldo, Juventus - 26 (23 goals, 3 assists)

Only five players have more goals, but it's the assist column which is really letting Ronaldo down.

21. Jonathan David, KAA Gent - 27 (17 goals, 10 assists)

The 20-year-old Canadian international is one of European football's leading young talents.

20. Karim Benzema, Real Madrid - 27 (18 goals, 9 assists)

Goals have dried up of late for Benzema, but he's still enjoyed a fruitful season with Los Blancos.

19. Alexander Sorloth, Trabzonspor - 27 (21 goals, 6 assists)

Remember him? The Crystal Palace flop is now thriving out in Turkey.

18. Jean-Pierre Nsame, Young Boys - 27 (23 goals, 4 assists)

The 26-year-old Cameroonian has made scoring goals look easy out in Switzerland, notching his 23 goals in just 26 games.

17. Shon Weissman, Wolfsberger - 27 (24 goals, 3 assists)

Similar stats to Ronaldo, but the Israeli striker has managed one more goal - in two fewer games.

16. Hakim Ziyech, Ajax - 29 (8 goals, 21 assists)

No player in Europe's top 15 leagues has registered more assists than Ziyech, with one player tied with him on 21.

15. Angel Di Maria, PSG - 29 (12 goals, 17 assists)

PSG's unsung hero in 2019/20. With Neymar's injury issues, Di Maria has stepped up and delivered goals and assists aplenty.

14. Bruno Fernandes, Man Utd - 29 (15 goals, 14 assists)

All his goals and assists came during his time with Sporting Lisbon, but the numbers are still mighty impressive.

13. Raul Jimenez, Wolves - 29 (20 goals, 9 assists)

The Premier League player with the most goal involvements so far in 2019/20. Not bad, eh?

12. Carlos Vinicius, Benfica - 31 (19 goals, 12 assists)

The latest emerging talent from Benfica. The Brazilian's 31 goal involvements have come in as little as 29 games in all competitions.

11. Dieumerci Mbokani, Royal Antwerp - 31 (21 goals, 10 assists)

The 34-year-old struggled on loan at Norwich and Hull, but has finally found his feet out in the Belgian top-flight.

10. Jadon Sancho, Borussia Dortmund - 31 (15 goals, 17 assists)

The best teenage talent in world football. Sancho's 31 goal involvements have come in just 29 games!

9. Myron Boadu, AZ Alkmaar - 32 (19 goals, 13 assists)

The latest teenage sensation to emerge from the Eredivisie and potentially Holland's number nine for the foreseeable future.

8. Dusan Tadic, Ajax - 33 (12 goals, 21 assists)

Level with Ziyech on 21 assists. The Ajax boys really do love creating, don't they?

7. Pizzi, Benfica - 33 (21 goals, 12 assists)

The Portuguese talent pool right now is immense. Pizzi's 33 goal involvements have come in 33 games, a perfectly level record.

6. Lionel Messi, Barcelona - 33 (19 goals, 15 assists)

Even during a season interrupted by injury and struggles - by his standards - in front of goal, Messi still sits sixth. What a player.

5. Ciro Immobile, Lazio - 34 (28 goals, 6 assists)

Scoring goals out in Italy is meant to be difficult, but it appears no one told Immobile that this season...

4. Timo Werner, RB Leipzig - 35 (25 goals, 10 assists)

Werner is enjoying the best season of his career and it is all set to pave the way for a move to one of Europe's elite clubs for 2020/21.

3. Kylian Mbappe, PSG - 36 (23 goals, 13 assists)

Mbappe just makes goal scoring and assisting look effortlessly easy. The fact he hasn't even been at his best in 2019/20 makes his numbers even more remarkable.

2. Robert Lewandowski, Bayern Munich - 38 (35 goals, 3 assists)

The best out-and-out striker in world football, that is all.

1. Erling Haaland, Borussia Dortmund - 44 (36 goals, 8 assists)

Imagine leading the way by six at just 19? Haaland really is a generational talent. The Norwegian's output has come in just 27 games for RB Salzburg and Dortmund.

So there you have it, Ronaldo has some serious catching up to do if he is to break into the top 10 by the end of the season.

But the way he is playing right now, you wouldn't bet against him catching up to the likes of Messi, Immobile and Werner.

Haaland may be too far ahead, though...