Over the past five-and-a-half years, Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and Robert Lewandowski have been three of the most prolific footballers on the planet.

The trio of superstars have made goalscoring at the very highest level of the sport look annoyingly easy and they're all still going strong in their 30s.

Messi won his seventh Ballon d'Or on Monday, with Lewandowski finishing as the runner-up and Ronaldo coming sixth in the voting.

As a result of their places in the upper echelons of the sport in modern times, numerous comparisons have been made with regards to the trio's output

And we've decided to join in with that fad. Using Transfermarkt, we've worked out each of Messi, Ronaldo and Lewandowski's goal and assist numbers at club level since the beginning of the 2016/17 season.

Let's take a look at our findings...

LIONEL MESSI
2016/17
Games: 52 [b] | Goals:[b] 54 | Assists: 20

2017/18
Games: 54 | Goals: 45 | Assists: 20

2018/19
Games: 50 | Goals: 51 | Assists: 22

2019/20
Games: 44 | Goals: 31 | Assists: 27

2020/21
Games: 47 | Goals: 38 | Assists: 14

2021/22*
Games: 12 | Goals: 4 | Assists: 3

TOTAL

Games: 259 | Goals: 223 | Assists: 106 | Goals+Assists: 329 | G/A-per-game: 1.27

CRISTIANO RONALDO

2016/17
Games: 46 | Goals: 42 | Assists: 12

2017/18
Games: 44 | Goals: 44 | Assists: 8

2018/19
Games: 43 | Goals: 28 | Assists: 11

2019/20
Games: 46 | Goals: 37 | Assists: 7

2020/21
Games: 44 | Goals: 36 | Assists: 4

2021/22*
Games: 17 | Goals: 12 | Assists: 2

TOTAL

Games: 240 | Goals: 199 | Assists: 44 | Goals+Assists: 243 | G/A-per-game: 1.01

ROBERT LEWANDOWSKI

2016/17
Games: 47 | Goals: 43 | Assists: 9

2017/18
Games: 48 | Goals: 41 | Assists: 5

2018/19
Games: 47 | Goals: 40 | Assists: 13

2019/20
Games: 47 | Goals: 55 | Assists: 10

2020/21
Games: 40 | Goals: 48 | Assists: 9

2021/22*
Games: 20 | Goals: 25 | Assists: 2

TOTAL

Games: 249 | Goals: 252 | Assists: 48 | Goals+Assists: 300 | G/A-per-game: 1.20

So, Lewandowski is comfortably the highest scorer among the three, the Polish superstar netting 29 more than Messi and a whopping 53 more than Ronaldo.

How on earth has the Bayern Munich man not won at least one Ballon d'Or then? He's even assisted more goals than Ronaldo since the start of 2016/17.

But when it comes to the creative side of the game, Messi is unquestionably the top dog.

In fact, the Paris Saint-Germain maestro has more assists than Ronaldo and Lewandowski combined, the little genius producing 20 or more in four consecutive seasons.

Messi's 106 assists means he also possesses the best goal contribution-per-game record, although Lewandowski is not far behind him at all.

It really has been a joy watching all three weave their magic in recent years and we can't wait to see what magnificence they will provide us with in the future.

SOURCE

In total

LIONEL MESSI
Games: 259 | Goals: 223 | Assists: 106 | Goals+Assists: 329 | G/A-per-game: 1.27

CRISTIANO RONALDO
Games: 240 | Goals: 199 | Assists: 44 | Goals+Assists: 243 | G/A-per-game: 1.01

[b] ROBERT LEWANDOWSKI

Games: 249 | Goals: 252 | Assists: 48 | Goals+Assists: 300 | G/A-per-game: 1.20

(^_-)

nice stats but being the best striker is totally different from being the best player all round...
the stats for goals favored lewa with leo just behind but total goal involvment placed leo miles ahead of both of them n thats why people rate him as the GOAT of this generation...
other players can be useless on a bad day without scoring but Leo can end up the best man on the pitch on a bad day without a goal..
that why he have the most MOTM awards.
Choose wisely who ur GOAT is bcox i know my king..

CR7

Damnnn niggarrrr
Lionel messi the boss

Una just like argument, what's the end result?

OJEEMAH:
Until most people grasp the fact that, there's a huge distinction between Best Forward/Striker & Best Player, they will continue to argue ignorantly.

simple bro...i
an insane 106 assists in 5 seasons is totally crazy, even lewa plus cr7 total assist no reach..
thats d same player dt can guarantee u more goals too, messi na cheat abeegi
for easy understanding, Google the best playmaker since 2000 n u would see dt no player in dt long list have such goals n assist like messi n dts why he owns d most ballon d or than any oda player dead or alive...
all messi haters know this but dey choose to remain blind to d truth..
maybe na when him don hang him boot, dm go finally appreciate am..

Ok

Assist should be considered first b4 goal. Bcus is not easy to create a goal abeg

Messi on top again... The best factos

Messi is the only GOAT I know.
His records are loud.

What's the essence of all these unnecessary comparison. Ronaldo Messi and Lawandoski are my best footballers. The earlier we know that these people exist every 300yrs years, the better for us.

I'll be proud to tell my kids that I lived in the time of Messi, Ronaldo, and Lawandoski.

Factos

THE GOAT

Abihj:
Always Ronaldo

Did you read the post at all?

Dem don open thread to use lick Messi yansh


Ojeemah Paulolee Why una always dey on every thread sef......

Out of these players which of them don chop 8-2

Which of them get one league goal this Season.

Oh wow even with penalty and tapins the GOAT goal is more than Ronaldo goal.

This is unbelievable

H

lewandowski

Messi assist tells what a player should be , not selfish and helping other players to be better … Messi is the football King

Leo Messi is arguably the king of this generation football...

Penaldians
Hope you can see facts presented to you .
Stop ranting , Messi is the undisputed GOAT
If e pain you , create your own award

While these illustrious footballers keep polishing and fine tuning their crafts and having a time of their lives, certain individuals are giving themselves sleepless nights on who is the best....

Better enjoy an era that's about to end to it's fullest.