Ronaldo & Messi: The best mins-per-goal records in each year of the century

Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo changed the game in terms of goalscoring.

At their peaks, the superstar duo were scoring more than a goal a game and making that astonishing achievement look irritatingly easy.

But the downside of their prolificacy is that it’s slightly boring scouring the archives in search of the top goal-getter in each year of the 21st century, as it’s normally one or the other sitting top of the pile from 2007 onwards.

So how can we spice it up a bit and add an element of intrigue? Well, we think we’ve found a way.

Using Transfermarkt, we’ve worked out the footballer with the best minutes-per-goal record across all club competitions in each completed year of the 21st century.

Of course, Messi and Ronaldo still crop up on a number of occasions, but not as regularly as before.

Only players who scored 10 or more goals while representing a team in one of Europe’s top five leagues were considered for selection in each year.

Let’s begin…

11 goals | 93 mins-per-goal

28 goals | 83 mins-per-goal

20 goals | 103 mins-per-goal

13 goals | 85 mins-per-goal

16 goals | 87 mins-per-goal

26 goals | 99 mins-per-goal

15 goals | 97 mins-per-goal

18 goals | 105 mins-per-goal

19 goals | 85 mins-per-goal

32 goals | 93 mins-per-goal

58 goals | 77 mins-per-goal

53 goals | 84 mins-per-goal

79 goals | 65 mins-per-goal

59 goals | 71 mins-per-goal

54 goals | 75 mins-per-goal

13 goals | 52 mins-per-goal

15 goals | 76 mins-per-goal

49 goals | 79 mins-per-goal

15 goals | 76 mins-per-goal

41 goals | 81 mins-per-goal

17 goals | 69 mins-per-goal

56 goals | 68 mins-per-goal

So, Ronaldo is the only player to finish top of the pile on three occasions, while Messi achieved the feat twice.

However, neither of the superstar pair can lay