The Messi-Ronaldo rivalry is always one of the highlights of the soccer season. The two titans have come at one another from a distance. Goals and titles were always their main means of doing battle. For years, Lionel Messi was the undisputed winner in both areas, but of late he has lagged a bit in the former department despite being the runaway winner in the latter.

Cristiano Ronaldo has been the more consistent scorer over the last five years, despite some truly wondrous seasons from Messi. Who will ultimately win the battle in 2015-16?

Messi is expected to play on the right side of Barcelona's trident that also included Luis Suarez and Neymar. Judging from his output in 2014-15, he should excel there, something that Ronaldo might have trouble with (the superstar has no set position with Real Madrid just yet).

While Ronaldo has scored 50 or more goals in five straight years, Messi has managed 40 or more in six straight seasons. He has topped 50 on four of those occasions, 60 twice and 70 on one occasion, a feat Ronaldo never topped. However, that 73-goal season is a thing of the past as Messi has not been that productive since.

He already has three goals in three games this year, which is more or less in line with his recent seasons. Since 2008-09, he has scored 332 goals for Barcelona in 321 games (an average of 1.03 goals per game). In those six seasons he has scored under an average of one goal per game on two different occasions. The 2009-10 season is a distant memory as Messi has progressed tremendously since that season. In 2013-14 he scored 41 goals in 46 games; still an extraordinary feat in its own right but certainly a disappointment considering Messi's pedigree. That season however featured an oft-injured Messi who had little support around him on the club.

Last season, arguably his finest, he scored 58 goals in 57 games, a tremendous season for the superstar if there ever was one. He also recorded 28 assists playing alongside the best strike partners he has ever had and there is no doubt that if the three stay healthy, goals and assists will come in large quantities for Barcelona's superstar.

Messi is healthy and in fine form. He should easily eclipse 50 goals again in 2015-16 and if he somehow finds another gear, 60 goals might not be out of the question for the Argentine superstar.

Here is a rundown of Messi's goals in the last six seasons:

2014-15: 58 goals in 57 games

2013-14: 41 goals in 46 games

2012-13: 60 goals in 50 games

2011-12: 73 goals in 60 games

2010-11: 53 goals in 55 games

2009-10: 47 goals in 53 games

Also worth noting is that Messi's shots per game in Spain have actually decreased in recent years. He put up 5.5. shots per game during the 73- goal season; in 2014-15 he shot the ball at the goal 4.5 times per game, his lowest average in that time. His accuracy is obviously improving and a continuation of that trend could be even more lethal than anticipated.

For perspective, Ronaldo has scored 313 goals in that span of seasons. His totals are hurt by his 33 goal season in 2009-10, his first for Madrid. Since then, Ronaldo has 280 while in those five years Messi has 285.