Will we ever see anything like the peak Lionel Messi vs Cristiano Ronaldo era?
In truth, probably not.
From the late 2000s right up until very recently, the two global superstars were part of arguably the greatest sporting rivalry in history.
There was no hatred or malice towards one another, just simply elite-level quality on a frighteningly consistent basis.
While the pair were at Barcelona and Real Madrid respectively, the output bordered on scary.
Each week, it seemed as if a member of the iconic duo would score a hat-trick to outdo the other’s match-winning brace – and vice versa.
As a result of their superhuman displays in Spain, Messi and Ronaldo are so, so dominant when it comes to goal contributions across Europe’s top five leagues.
In the 21st century, no player is within 200 of either at the time of writing.
Absolute madness – and there’s also a significant gap between the top two as well, per PopFoot.
Let’s take a look at the list featuring the 20 most decisive footballers in Europe’s top five leagues since the turn of millennium…
Who has the most league goal contributions in the 21st century?
20. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang – 276 goal contributions
Goals: 219 | Assists: 57
19. Frank Lampard – 279 goal contributions
Goals: 177 | Assists: 102
18. Antonio Di Natale – 281 goal contributions
Goals: 209 | Assists: 72
17. Samuel Eto’o – 290 goal contributions
Goals: 209 | Assists: 81
16. Alessandro Del Piero – 294 goal contributions
Goals: 188 | Assists: 106
15. Edin Dzeko – 299 goal contributions
Goals: 221 | Assists: 78
14. Thomas Muller – 300 goal contributions
Goals: 141 | Assists: 159
13. Gonzalo Higuain – 302 goal contributions
Goals: 237 | Assists: 65
12. Wayne Rooney – 311 goal contributions
Goals: 208 | Assists: 103
11. Edinson Cavani – 312 goal contributions
Goals: 267 | Assists: 45
10. Sergio Aguero – 331 goal contributions
Goals: 259 | Assists: 72
9. Luis Suarez – 344 goal contributions
Goals: 247 | Assists: 97
8. Raul – 349 goal contributions
Goals: 256 | Assists: 93
7. Thierry Henry – 354 goal contributions
Goals: 233 | Assists: 121
6. Robert Lewandowski – 387 goal contributions
Goals: 327 | Assists: 60
5. Karim Benzema – 403 goal contributions
Goals: 273 | Assists: 130
4. Francesco Totti – 404 goal contributions
Goals: 250 | Assists: 154
3. Zlatan Ibrahimovic – 421 goal contributions
Goals: 302 | Assists: 119
2. Cristiano Ronaldo – 635 goal contributions
Goals: 495 | Assists: 140
1. Lionel Messi – 712 goal contributions
Goals: 493 | Assists: 219
When it comes to goals, Ronaldo has the slight edge, but Messi’s insane assist record sees him take top spot by a considerable distance.
The Argentine averages 1.25 goal contributions per match, with Ronaldo’s ratio reading 1.01 – absurd numbers.
Neymar’s absence from the top 20 is a significant surprise, given how prolific he’s been at both Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain.
In five or so years time, expect Kylian Mbappe and Erling Braut Haaland to be near the top five…
