The Cristiano Ronaldo vs Lionel Messi debate has experienced a huge shift in recent weeks.
At first glance that might seem like a strange comment to make when you consider that they have barely played recently, but their circumstances have changed more than anyone could have predicted.
In what will likely go down as the craziest transfer window in modern football history, both Ronaldo and Messi waved goodbye to not only their clubs but their respective leagues as well.
Messi vs Ronaldo debate
For the first time in history, Messi will be playing his club football elsewhere after securing a move to Paris Saint-Germain, while Ronaldo dramatically returned to Manchester United after 12 years.
It really does make for a bizarre shift in the Messi vs Ronaldo status quo and one that will be very difficult to get our heads around until both players really put a run of games together this season.
Besides, most fans are - at the very least - used to clashes between the two superstars featuring Barcelona and even Ronaldo's switch from Real Madrid to Juventus took some getting adjusting to.
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Messi and Ronaldo's head-to-heads
However, football fans will now have to keep their fingers crossed that United and PSG will draw each other in the Champions League if we are to see the icons sharing a pitch together again.
After all, it was such a treat for us to see Messi and Ronaldo going toe-to-toe during Juventus' 3-0 win at Barcelona last season because many feared that they would never face each other again.
And while we sincerely hope that there is at least one more meeting between the two Ballon d'Or winners to come, we have discovered the perfect video to prepare ourselves for the worst-case scenario.
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Messi and Ronaldo's direct clashes
Compiled by YouTuber 'Wrzzer' to the tune of more than four million views, the viral montage shows the rare moments where Ronaldo and Messi have literally come directly against one another.
Considering both players feature in their club's respective front-lines, these little snippets are really tough to come by, so be sure to enjoy them all in one place down below:
Is it just me that gets the feeling that Ronaldo came out on top here?
Wait... did Ronaldo get the better of Messi?
Don't get me wrong, there are more than a few clips in which Messi leaves his eternal rival chasing shadows, but Ronaldo seemed to nip in with far more tackles, interceptions and skill moves.
But before we get too carried away, we'll stop right there because not every video, study or data analysis should be an excuse to compare two players who are sporting icons in their own right.
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And if our worst fears that Ronaldo and Messi will never share a pitch again are indeed accurate, we can at least rest assured that their head-to-head clashes are preserved for all to see online.