Messi vs. Ronaldo Ballon d'Or 2017: Which Declining Superstar Had the Better 2015-16 Season Overall?

Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are rivals for the ages and will be linked together as long as they are both in the game.

As expected, both had solid seasons for their respective clubs coming away with crucial trophies that they were major parts of. But which player had a better 2015-16 season?

Here is a look from a wide range of angles.

What the boxcar numbers say

The big numbers look like this. Ronaldo finished the year with 51 goals and 15 assists in 48 matches. He scored 35 goals in La Liga in 36 games and 16 in the Champions League. It was Ronaldo's sixth straight year scoring 50 or more goals for Real Madrid, an all-time record. He also topped 30 goals in La Liga for the sixth straight season.

Messi had 41 goals in 49 games but had 23 assists along the way. He only managed 26 goals in La Liga, his worst tally since 2008-09 when he had 23 goals in 31 games. That said, Messi had nine goals across the Euro Sup Cup, Spanish Super Cup and FIFA Club World Cup.

Edge: Ronaldo.

What the underlying numbers say

(All stats from WhoScored.com)

Messi had his worst passing success rate ever in La Liga, took fewer shots on goal (4.8) than he has in past seasons (and below his career average) and was also off the mark in dribbles per game with 3.5; he averaged around 4.6 last season and over the course of his career. This is his lowest dribble per game of his prime years. Key passes were also down compared to last season and even the year before though they remained around his career average of 2.2. He also averaged far fewer passes per game in La Liga (55.7), his lowest amount since 2012-13 and big drop from his numbers last season when he averaged 61.4 per game. The drop in one stat could be an anomaly but the drop in so many aspects of his game indicates a decline in Messi's influence in the game overall. It will be interesting to see if this worsens in 2016-17.

Ronaldo has also seen a sharp decline in certain skills. His shots per game were down slightly from last season and his accuracy was way down by a lot. His passing success was the worst it has been since 2012-13 and 2010-11 and Ronaldo's key passes per game also took a hit, with him averaging around 1.9. Dribbles per game were the worst they have been in Ronaldo's career at Real Madrid, but that is mainly the result of his shifting position and approach to the game. Ronaldo also averaged fewer passes per game this season, the lowest number in his career with just 29.7.

Edge: Messi. He may be declining, but he has a stronger overall influence on the game than Ronaldo outside of scoring goals and producing shots.

What the trophies say

Messi finished the season as the winner of the Ballon d'Or, the Euro Super Cup, the FIFA Club World Cup, La Liga and the Copa del Rey.

Ronaldo won just one trophy in 2015-16 - the Champions League.

Edge: Ronaldo's UCL win is huge, but Messi had a boatload of trophies.

What the big games say

Ronaldo and Messi each had their moments in the Clasico's, though Ronaldo did produce a winner and Messi didn't.

In big tournament moments, Messi was the man to ultimately decide the Copa del Rey and held sway over the outcome of the Euro Super Cup victory. He was not the main catalyst for the La Liga win or the FIFA Club World Cup though.

Ronaldo had a poor Champions League final match until he scored the winning penalty. But it is crucial to remember that he scored five goals in the knockout rounds to lead his team this far. The three most important goals of course came on the evening in Madrid when he walked his talk. After promising a magical night, he produced three goals to help Madrid win the quarterfinal round.

This might be Ronaldo's defining moment now that the trophy has been one and is emblematic of the season as a whole.

Edge: Messi had some magical moments, but none top Ronaldo's delivery of his promise on the road to scoring the decider in Milan. Ronaldo wins this round. And of course his Clasico winner with Real Madrid down a man is simply unforgettable.

What the overall perspective is

Messi won more trophies, but few will look at this season as a banner year for the Argentinean. After all, Luis Suarez was Barcelona's best player throughout the year and the team does not make it through if he did not pick up the slack in Messi's absence.

Ronaldo did not have a great year either, by his standards. His rough beginnings however were quickly forgotten the moment he scored the winner against Barcelona to keep Madrid's title hopes alive. Then he went on to score three against Wolfsburg as Madrid won it all in Milan.

Edge: Neither had a great year overall but Ronaldo holds the iconic moments of the season as well as superlative stats overall.