Messi and Ronaldo: the race for the 600th goal

When Cristiano formed part of a dominant Manchester United side under Sir Alex Ferguson, many dreamed of watching him play in Spain so they could enjoy a rivalry between the best two players in the world. When he signed for Real Madrid, they got their wish, and the battle for the Ballon D'or has since been a two-horse race. 

The Portuguese's move to Juventus made another matchup between the two increasingly unlikely, but now a new battle has emerged between the two for us all to enjoy: the 600th goal in their professional careers. Both are close and will more than likely complete this remarkable feat before the end of this season.

It is 'CR7' who is slightly closer, as the 34 year-old goal machine has scored 599 goals so far - needing just one more to reach the next jaw-dropping milestone in a glittering career. This goal could come in this weekend's 'Derby D'italia' clash against Inter Milan.

Having found the net 597 times up until this point in his career, the diminutive Argentinian sits just two goals behind his rival. He has failed to score in his last two outings against Real Sociedad and Alavés, meaning a hat-trick is needed for him to pip Ronaldo at the post this weekend.

Interestingly, the Barcelona and Juventus games do overlap. The Catalan giants host Levante at 20:45 Spanish time, whereas Juventus face Inter Milan at the San Siro at 20:30. This sets up yet another fascinating duel between the two greats - albeit on this occasion from a distance.