Cristiano Ronaldo vs Lionel Messi has been the debate on everybody's lips this week.

The Champions League collision between Barcelona and Juventus had football fans talking about the Ballon d'Or winners in their droves at the prospect of seeing them sharing the pitch again.

Besides, with Ronaldo having to miss the reverse fixture at the Allianz Stadium, the two hadn't done battle in more than two years when the Portuguese was plying his trade at Real Madrid.

Ronaldo and Messi's brilliance

But one of the prevailing themes of the debate hitting headlines again has been the fact that both players, whether we like to admit it or not, are marching into the twilight years of their career.

Even the most optimistic of supporters would acknowledge that the prime versions of Ronaldo and Messi we saw in the early 2010s are now a thing of the past.

But it just happens that their talent is so unbounded that the two legends taking a decline does nothing to dampen their status as two of, if not the, best footballers on the planet.

Plenty more to come

Nevertheless, despite Ronaldo and Messi's apparent immunity to father time, it's becoming increasingly vogue to ditch the comparisons and instead appreciate the two players while we can.

Besides, sad as it is, there will come a time when both players hang up their boots and we'll realise how lucky we were to see generational talents, well, showing their talents in the same generation.

As a result, let's look towards the final years of Messi and Ronaldo's careers through rose-tinted glasses and imagine what they could achieve before they kiss goodbye to the beautiful game.

Records they can still break

Step in talksSPORT. The British publication and radio station put their heads together ahead of the Champions League games this week to look at records that the two stars are yet to break.

In other words, what pieces of history from Ronaldo and Messi can we look forward to while we can still watch them from the terraces and our sofas? Well, it turns out some pretty big ones.

So, without further ado, here are four feats Ronaldo can get his hands on, two records that Messi could smash and one that the two superstars will battle it out for in the years to come:

Cristiano Ronaldo: All-time Euros goalscorer

'CR7' has found the net nine times across four European Championships tournaments, drawing level with Michel Platini and now only needs one strike at the rearranged-Euro 2020 to become the outright leader.

Cristiano Ronaldo: Most European Cup/Champions League wins

Boasting five 'Big Ears' in his trophy cabinet already, Ronaldo could draw level with Francisco Gento as only the second player to become the champion of Europe six times over in the seasons to come.

If he achieves it with Juventus or another team he's never played for previously, then he would also join Clarence Seedorf as only the second player to win the competition at three different clubs.

Cristiano Ronaldo: Top scorer in England, Spain and Italy

Having won the Premier League Golden Boot in 2007/08 as well as the Pichichi Trophy three times over, Ronaldo just needs to win the equivalent award in Italy to secure a European dominance never seen before.

Cristiano Ronaldo: All-time international goalscorer

Ah yes, the feat that's been on everybody's lips recently. Ronaldo has currently notched 102 goals for Portugal, putting him within just seven strikes of Ali Daei’s long-standing record for Iran.

Lionel Messi: Top goalscorer for one club

A world record so close you can almost taste it. Messi only needs to score two more goals for Barcelona to overhaul the 643 strikes that Pele mustered during his legendary Santos career.

Lionel Messi: Most trophies at one club

Messi boasts an eye-watering 34 trophies to his name at Barcelona and if he sticks around at Camp Nou for a few more seasons, then Ryan Giggs' world record of 36 at Manchester United could fall.

Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo: Most Champions League hat-tricks

The two stars are tied on an unprecedented eight trebles in the competition, so you can guarantee that one of them will secure the record outright, it just remains to be seen which of them will pull clear.

If anything, it's remarkable to think that these two sporting aliens haven't actually bulldozed every record before them already, but make no mistake that they're within touching distance now.

Then again, regardless of whether they fall or not, let's allow the eye-test of simply watching their brilliance on the pitch to really drive home how lucky we are to live and breathe in their era.