Cristiano Ronaldo vs. Lionel Messi: Real Madrid Star Better with Backheel Goal?

Could Real Madrid star Cristiano Ronaldo be better than FC Barcelona talisman Lionel Messi with his brilliant backheel goal in Los Merengues' 1-0 win at Rayo Vallecano in La Liga on Sunday?

Ronaldo, 27, scored the winner for Real with a cheeky backheel shot from around 10 yards out, which completely eluded the stunned Rayo Vallecano defence.

And it's a goal that begs the question as to whether the former Manchester United legend is better than Messi with his penchant for the spectacular and versatile goalscoring ability.

That effort was Ronaldo's 37th goal of the season from just 36 games, and his 29th goal in La Liga from just 24 games.

In the league, Ronaldo has made 23 starts and one substitute appearance, scoring 29 goals. Messi, 24, has made the same number of appearances and has scored one less goal.

And if we look at the goals Ronaldo scores compares to Messi, it's clear the Portugal international is more versatile in his goalscoring ability than his Argentina counterpart.

Both are pretty much equal in terms of goals scored, but both completely different in how they score them.

Firstly, Messi has scored far more of his goals in open play, netting just two from the penalty spot, whereas Ronaldo has scored ten penalties.

That's usually a criticism labelled against Ronaldo, but looking at his conversion rate in comparison to Messi's, it could be argued the Portuguese winger has greater psychological strength.

Much was made of Messi's penalty miss against Sevilla, and a look into his statistics shows that throughout his Barca career, Messi has converted 20 penalties from 27 taken, at a conversion rate of 74 percent.

In his Real Madrid career, Ronaldo has converted 23 penalties from 24 taken—a conversion rate of 96 percent.

Secondly, Messi has scored the vast majority of his goals from inside the penalty area, and doesn't have the shot power to be an effective shooter from distance.

Ronaldo on the other hand is known in world football as a one of the best long-distance strikers of the ball.

For example, his goal in the recent 4-2 win over Levante from 25 yards out is something Messi has very rarely ever done before.

It's hard to imagine the diminutive Argentine scoring a goal like that, let alone one such as the 40-yard belter Ronaldo hit in the UEFA Champions League against FC Porto when playing for United.

And thirdly, Ronaldo's penchant for the spectacular is something that's unrivaled in world football.

While Messi scores with expert finishes and brilliant chipped efforts over the goalkeeper, he's not capable of producing the wow factor in his goals that Ronaldo can.

That goal at Rayo Vallecano follows on from another backheel goal away to Malaga earlier in the season, while his sensational effort against Aston Villa still resonates in the minds of all Manchester United supporters.

Add that to all the pile-driving free kicks he's scored and various long range strikes and it's clear that Ronaldo is one of, if not the most, versatile goalscorer in the sport.

And that's something that sets Ronaldo apart from Messi.

He's scored spectacular goals from all kinds of distances, and has done it in both the Premier League and La Liga.

Of course, whether that makes him better than little Lionel is up for debate, as Messi makes more assists and key passes, and completes more dribbles.

Cristiano Ronaldo vs. Lionel Messi is an argument which is endlessly debated in world football it seems.

But after scoring that phenomenal and audacious winner on Sunday for Real, Ronaldo's goal just has to prompt the question once again—is he better than Messi?