Cristiano Ronaldo vs Lionel Messi is the debate on everybody's lips at the best of times, never mind when they're on a Champions League collision course.

Fans around the world will be keeping their fingers crossed that Barcelona and Juventus select the two superstars for their first head-to-head clash in two years on Tuesday night.

Seeing Ronaldo and Messi share a pitch together used to be a common sight when the former was plying his trade at Real Madrid, but everything changed when he secured a move to Italy in 2018.

Barcelona vs Juventus

It's taken until his third season in Turin for the two players' fixture lists to overlap and even then, a positive COVID-19 test for Ronaldo meant that he was absent from the initial group-stage clash.

In his absence, Messi put on a footballing clinic in northern Italy, guiding Barca to an anomalously impressive result in the context of their 2020/21 season by scoring a penalty as part of a 2-0 win.

Consequently, the onus is now on Juventus to secure three points as they travel to Camp Nou needing a comfortable win to rescue their hopes of winning Group G.

Ronaldo's stunning 2020

As a result, it wouldn't be surprising to see Ronaldo given the nod on his return to Spain, but Messi's presence is less of a certainty after being rested for the club's last Champions League fixture.

But regardless of whether either player starts, you can guarantee that the mere potential of it will lead to comparisons between the two superstars - and who are we to pretend it isn't happening?

By all accounts, Ronaldo has enjoyed the better 2020/21 campaign thus far and Messi's distinct lack of goals from open play this season, just two in La Liga, has been plastered all over social media.

Damning Ronaldo vs Messi stat

But it appears as though the disparity between the two Ballon d'Or winners has been yawning throughout 2020 as a whole with Ronaldo's goal-scoring record proving particularly impressive.

In fact, Twitter user @TeamCRonaldo - yes, take from that what you will - posted an astonishing statistic about the two superstars that we've corroborated using data on Transfermarkt.

It rather staggeringly reveals that Ronaldo has scored more non-penalty goals (25) across the entire calendar year than Messi has scored in total (24) - check out the data down below.

Ronaldo's 2020 goals

Plus three goals for Portugal vs Sweden (x2) and Andorra

Messi's 2020 goals

Plus one goal for Argentina vs Paraguay

Huge win for Ronaldo

Wowsers. Talk about making a mockery of the 'Penaldo' jibes.

Naturally, Ronaldo has scored his fair share of spot-kicks in 2020, too, so let this statistic show that the Juve star has thoroughly outscored his eternal rival in general despite being two years older.

It's such a glowing review of Ronaldo's form this year that it makes me think he would have won a sixth Ballon d'Or title if the ceremony had gone ahead and Robert Lewandowski was ineligible.

However, regardless of what Messi and Ronaldo have achieved in the weeks and months building up to Tuesday night, it won't make a difference when and if they line up against each other in Spain.

But if Ronaldo was to outdo his rival across 90 minutes just as he over 11 months then, as far as 2020 is concerned, it would merely be par for the course.