Cristiano Ronaldo vs Lionel Messi is officially on ice until 2021.

With Juventus wrapping up their year in disappointing style with a 3-0 defeat to Fiorentina on December 22, Ronaldo has been able to put his feet up in front of the fire for some time now.

Messi, too, has been enjoying the festive period away from the pitch, but was still on hand to see Barcelona play out their final fixture with a disappointing 1-1 draw with Eibar from the stands.

Ronaldo vs Messi

It means that the statistics, records and tallies are frozen for 2020 with Messi and Ronaldo no longer able to add to their haul of football brilliance for the first year of the new decade.

So, yes, gather round, gather round, for the ten-gazillionth comparison of Ronaldo and Messi, only this time we have the closing of the year to give the statistical jungle a little more law and order.

It's a happy moment for those who spend many an hour trawling through footballing data, but not so much for those acutely aware that the two superstars are edging closer to retirement. 

Never-ending quality

Besides, lest we forget that Ronaldo will have 36 candles on his birthday cake in a matter of weeks and Messi will almost be halfway through his thirties by the time his balloons are up in the summer.

It's a sad prospect, let's face it, because what they've brought to the beautiful game over the last 15 years has been so indelible that the sport just won't feel the same without them.

As a result, try not to take this 2020 statistical comparison as a callous reach to 'settle the GOAT debate', rather as a celebration of their astonishing achievements within the context of their rivalry.

Ronaldo vs Messi: 2020 stats

After all, while we do think there's been a clear winner in the Messi vs Ronaldo standings this year, the statistics they've been able to produce far beyond their 30th birthdays is simply astonishing.

So, without further ado, check out how Ronaldo and Messi compared in key statistics - courtesy of data collected by Transfermarkt - over the last 12 months down below:

Club goals

Cristiano Ronaldo 41-26 Lionel Messi

Club assists

Lionel Messi 18-6 Cristiano Ronaldo

Minutes-per-goal in club football

Cristiano Ronaldo 83.3-150 Lionel Messi

International goals 

Cristiano Ronaldo 3-1 Lionel Messi

Non-penalty goals

Cristiano Ronaldo 27-18 Lionel Messi

Penalty goals

Cristiano Ronaldo 17-9 Lionel Messi

Hat-tricks

Lionel Messi 1-1 Cristiano Ronaldo 

Free-kick goals

Cristiano Ronaldo 2-1 Lionel Messi

Team trophies 

Cristiano Ronaldo 1-0 Lionel Messi

Major individual trophies

Cristiano Ronaldo 3-3 Lionel Messi

Ronaldo dominates in 2020

Of the ten metrics we put under the spotlight, Ronaldo romped his way to an impressive seven victories, while Messi only topped the charts for assists - and two categories finished in draws.

Yes, the statistics we've chosen surround goal-scoring primarily, but lest we forget that it's the currency on which the two players pride themselves the most.

That, and more playmaker-oriented statistics are much harder to come by in terms of being packaged in calendar year batches, though I think we all know Messi would top them anyway.

And don't get things twisted, this has still been another solid year for Messi on an individual level, but I think we can all agree that when the chips are down, Ronaldo has had the edge in 2020.