Lionel Messi is the face of Barcelona. He is the team's all-time highest goal scorer and he has been the reason for the club's surge over the last few years. But could he possibly be on his way out? And is Barcelona's biggest rival, Real Madrid, ready to buy him up?

According to former Real Madrid legend Hugo Sanchez, the Argentinian is not happy with his current contract situation with the club. According to reports, there is an approximate difference of $62 million between the two sides; Messi reportedly wants about $12 million more per year than Barcelona seems willing to pay. According to Sanchez, Messi feels undervalued and could consider leaving the team.

While Barcelona would not want to part ways with their superstar for marketing purposes, there are other on-field reasons that could force Messi out of Barcelona. The team may need to enter a rebuilding phase and could potentially be a losing side next season. The arrival of Neymar has been difficult for both players as the Brazilian has struggled as Messi's backup; while Messi has not looked himself either throughout the 2013-14 season. The price that Barcelona paid for Neymar was astounding and the murkiness of the situation created public humiliation for the team. At this point, it is unlikely Barcelona gets rid of the 21-year-old Brazilian; and looking more likely to sell Messi at the highest price possible.

It is essential to note that Sanchez's statement could be nothing more than mere speculation. But assuming that Madrid does try to buy up Messi, what happens to Cristiano Ronaldo?

The two have been tied together for years as the greatest rivals in the sport. The entire universe and their mother have attempted to analyze the differences between these players to determine which has the most flaws or the most positives skill-sets. While they could conceivably play together on the pitch (they play different positions), the issues would be far greater indeed.

Both players are known for scoring goals. Ronaldo has scored 174 goals in 162 matches for Madrid while Messi has scored 241 in 273 games for Barcelona. Both teams are currently structured around their star players. Messi is the focal point of Barcelona's attack and the team struggles to score when he goes missing. With Madrid, the situation is a bit more complicated. Ronaldo likes to hold onto the ball and create his own goals from nothing. He is not the savviest passer in the world but makes up for it with his directness, strength and nose for the net. If Messi were to join the team, which player would be the focal point of the attack? Would Ronaldo be okay with passing the ball to Messi? Or would Messi be okay with passing the ball to Ronaldo? One would imagine that if Madrid is forced to pay over $200 million to bring Messi over, that he would be the main man.

What about free kicks? Both superstars are known for putting together impressive long-range goals from the free-kick position. Madrid also has Gareth Bale who has shown himself to be just as good at scoring from long range. How does Madrid address this issue? The same can be said for penalty kicks. Ronaldo is the main spot kick taker for Madrid while Messi is the same for Barcelona. In 2013-14, Messi has scored 39 goals for the team and eight have come from penalties and three have come from free kicks. Ronaldo has scored nine of his goals from penalties.

As noted above, Gareth Bale is a major talking point in all of this. He was acquired from Tottenham of the English Premier League (EPL) last summer for a record fee and as with Neymar, it is unlikely that Madrid has any intention of selling him that quickly. Bale is only 24-year-old and plays a similar style to the 29-year-old Ronaldo. Both players are strong, fast and have a nose for the net. Messi is 26, has a lot of years left at his peak and has no rivalry with Bale so it is possible that the two could co-exist; Bale has put up 15 assists this season for Los Blancos and has shown himself able to adjust his game to suit Ronaldo's. Why would he not be able to suit Messi's?

Madrid could in turn look to ship off Ronaldo while his value and price are high. Ronaldo is currently signed to be with Madrid for the rest of his life, but he will not be playing at the same level in four or five years. In fact, this year may very well be the best that Ronaldo will ever play and his decline could come swiftly. Would Madrid be willing to overlook a chance to not only bring over one of the best in the world (if not the best) and also hurt its biggest rival in the process? The loss of Ronaldo could be harsh for many fans, but the arrival of Bale has essentially ensured that the team would have a similar type of player in the future. Bale has scored 20 goals for the club this year and has proven himself more than capable of living up to the hype. With Messi he would likely be an even more formidable force and the two could potentially create the most potent duo in the entire world.