Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo were plastered across international headlines this week.
After two long years, the serial Ballon d'Or winners shared the pitch once again during Juventus' win at Barcelona in the Champions League group stages.
Ronaldo's decision to leave Real Madrid after nine years meant that the two legends would no longer be competing head-to-head each season, so it was great to see them together again.
Ronaldo vs Messi debate
On this occasion, Ronaldo ran away the winner not just from a team perspective, but also individually, holding his nerve to convert two penalties in the 3-0 victory at Camp Nou.
Truth be told, the Portuguese has probably had the superior 2020 as a whole, too, threatening to produce his most lucrative goal-scoring season for Juventus despite now being 35 years old.
However, try as we might, there's only so much football fans and sports reporters can really establish about the superstars from either our living rooms or up in the stands.
Playing with both Messi and Ronaldo
And some of the most revered opinions on the perpetual Messi vs Ronaldo debate has come from the rare cohort of players to have shared a dressing room with both in their careers.
One of the most recent athletes to have achieved this lucky feat is Arthur Melo, who linked up with Ronaldo at Juventus after spending two seasons in Barcelona with Messi.
The Brazilian spoke to the Spanish press this week and although he singled out both players for praise, he did, according to a translation by Goal, highlight a key difference between the two.
Arthur compares Messi and Ronaldo
“They’re champions above all else," Arthur explained to AS. “In this, Messi and Ronaldo are identical. Concentrated from start to finish, always.
“If they score three goals, they immediately think of the fourth. They never disconnect. It’s impressive and at the same time motivating, because they push you to do your best.
“Compared to Messi, Ronaldo talks more and is more accessible. He never backs down if there is a team-mate in need, and he inspires fierce determination.
“He trains like an animal, he doesn’t know what a break is, and he always encourages you to do your best. He leaves nothing to chance.”
Ronaldo: The superior leader
Ah, yes, as we've suspected: Ronaldo is a superior leader to Messi.
Nobody is suggesting that Messi is a terrible captain, footage of him at half-time during the Liverpool defeat refutes that alone, but he doesn't seem to motivate his teammates quite like Ronaldo does.
A few comparison videos have done the rounds in 2020 showing how Ronaldo and Messi have both reacted to going behind in the Champions League and let's just say the difference is clear.
So, yes, while Arthur is hardly driving the knife into Messi or anything, it affectively confirms what fans have been thinking for some time: that Ronaldo is by far the more vocal and passionate general.