20 Stats to Compare who is better; Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo

Ok, that may be a little bit of exaggeration. But there is no doubt that when it comes to the Argentine and Portuguese stars, no punches are pulled when it comes to arguing the case of one over the other.
Perhaps the discussion would be better informed with the support of numerical evidence. For that reason, and in an attempt to compare the pair definitively, here are 20 of the most vital statistics that separate (or perhaps unite) Messi and Cristiano.
3—The number of professional clubs Cristiano Ronaldo has played for in his career to date. Sporting, Manchester United and Real Madrid have all played host to the powerful forward.
109—Million euros, the total that clubs have splashed out on the 28-year-old over two transfers. His move from United to Madrid in 2009, for €94 million, was a world record until the Merengue smashed it once more with the signing of Gareth Bale (BBC).
6.2—Percent of Cristiano links that take surfers to sites that contain online threats. This makes him "The most dangerous footballer in cyberspace," according to virus software specialists McAfee (Inside World Soccer).
900—Dollars a month was the financial burden that Argentine giants River Plate would not accept in order to cover the cost of Messi's growth hormones as a teenager (Guardian). Barcelona stepped in and, at 13, took Leo to Catalunya. The rest, as they say, is history.
1.69—Metres tall (5'5"), the mark the diminutive goalscorer reaches on the tape measure. Ronaldo in comparison is almost 20cm taller, at 1.86m (6'1").
18—The age at which both players made their international debuts. Messi's introduction to the Argentine team lasted just two minutes, when he received a red card for elbowing Hungary defender Vilmos Vanczak after being subbed into the game. Ronaldo's bow, a 45-minute cameo during Portugal's 1-0 win over Kazakhstan, passed largely without incident.
3—Of the four seasons Messi and Ronaldo have played in La Liga together, the Argentine has finished as top league scorer. Only in 2010/11 did the Madrid man's 40 goals outstrip his rival's, while in all competitions that year they finished deadlocked on 53 each.
21—Million Euros, the figure that Ronaldo takes home every year in salary (after tax). This makes him the highest-paid player in world football (Goal). Messi's basic wage in comparison is a princely €11m per season (Guardian). 

2—The Messi family's football connection does not end with Lio. Two of the Barca star's cousins—Maxi and Emanuel Biancucchi—have carved out successful careers in South America. Emanuel spent two seasons with 1860 Munich and now plays for Paraguayan giants Olimpia, while Maxi helped Brazilians Vitoria to the Bahia State Championship in 2013. 
43—Is the number of goals scored by Ronaldo in international football, making him the second-highest scorer in Portugal history behind Pauleta. The PSG legend, however, boasted a much better strike rate, taking just 88 caps to reach 47 while Cristiano needed 106 games for his current total.
37—Messi is no slouch either when it comes to the international stage. With 37 goals in 83 games, he ranks second in Argentina's all-time rankings; only Gabriel Batistuta (56 in 78) comes ahead of the Rosario native.
0—For all their goals, Messi and Ronaldo share one other thing in common in the international arena. Neither has managed to win a senior tournament with Argentina or Portugal.
91—The number with which, in 2012, Messi wrote himself into the Guinness Book of Records. The Argentine smashed Gerd Muller's record for goals in a single calendar year, eventually finishing with 91 over 12 months to set a bar that appears unlikely to be beaten any time soon.
7 - It's not just the Madrid forward's favourite number, but part of his fashion label. CR7 clothing opened in Funchal, Madeira, in 2006, with a Lisbon store following two years later. According to the Daily Mail, the lines include "diamante studded belts, jeans with leather pockets and patent buckled loafers"; and even "slinky dresses" for the discerning female. 
19 - The amount of La Liga teams that Cristiano scored against during the 2011/12 season. That is to say, every side in the league, becoming the first player to do so in the era of a 20-team Primera Division. 

4—The number of permanent coaches Messi has played under for Barcelona since making his debut in 2004 (Franck Rijkaard, Pep Guardiola, Tito Vilanova and Gerardo Martino). Carlo Ancelotti, meanwhile, is the third man to coach Ronaldo at Madrid following Manuel Pellegrini and Jose Mourinho's spells.
5—Of the last six years, Ronaldo has made it on to the Ballon d'Or podium. His sole win in the prestigious award came in 2008, while 2010 was the only year he was missing from the top three.
3—Three of those years, however, the Madrid star has had to grit his teeth as Lionel Messi lifted the prize. The Argentine has been awarded the Ballon d'Or for the last four years consecutively, the first player to achieve such a feat.
1—Leo is the third Argentine to be crowned Ballon d'Or winner but the first to do so while being acknowledged as such. Alfredo Di Stefano (1957, '59) and Omar Sivori (1961) were previous winners but due to old restrictions on non-Europeans winning the prize were recognised as Spanish and Italian respectively.
657—Is the total amount of goals scored by the pair, in 908 competitive club appearances. Cristiano is slightly ahead in the striking stakes with 333 in 520 games, but boasting 324 in 388 himself Messi is closely trailing his rival. 
6—Of the last nine Liga titles have gone to Messi's Barcelona, including three of the four disputed against a Madrid team containing Ronaldo. CR7 lags behind the Argentine in terms of silverware; but can he and Madrid turn the tables in 2013/14 and end the Catalans' iron grip on the Primera Division?