3 Cristiano Ronaldo records Lionel Messi can break after Portugal superstar's transfer to Al Nassr

After Cristiano Ronaldo's much-discussed move to Al Nassr, Lionel Messi holds the opportunity to break three of the Portugal international's impressive records in Europe.

Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have been in a battle for supremacy for nearly two decades. The two superstars have pushed each other beyond their limits and have broken several records in the process. The two greats of this generation now hold a considerable chunk of football records to their names, and no player has come close.

However, Ronaldo will no longer be playing in Europe, leaving Messi at Paris Saint-Germain with the chance to catch and surpass some of the CR7's records in the near future. Let's look at the three records he is likely to break:

#1 Most goals in Europe

Cristiano Ronaldo overtook Lionel Messi to become the footballer with the most goals in the top 5 leagues in Europe. The Portuguese scored 696 goals during his time with Manchester United in the Premier League, Real Madrid in La Liga, and Juventus in Serie A.

Total Club Goals for Teams in Europe's Top 5 Leagues

🇵🇹 Ronaldo: 696 Goals
🇦🇷 Messi: 695 Goals

5 of Cristiano's 701 total club goals were scored for Sporting (when the Pimeira Liga was Europe's 7th ranked league), so Messi just needs 2 more PSG goals to take this one!

He leaped ahead of the Argentine in recent seasons after the PSG star had a slump in form. However, the FIFA World Cup winner is just one goal behind and could overtake the Portuguese star if he finds the back of the net twice in Ligue 1.

Should Messi score twice in the next game he plays in the French league, he would have done it in 832 apps, while Ronaldo needed 919.

#2 Most assists in the Champions League

Fans often associate Messi with assists on the pitch when compared to Ronaldo, but that is not the case in the UEFA Champions League. The former Real Madrid star has 41 assists in the competition, while the PSG star has 40.

Champions League Goals

🇵🇹 Ronaldo: 140 Goals
🇦🇷 Messi: 129 Goals

Messi will probably need one or two more seasons to accumulate the 12 goals he needs to surpass Cristiano's record 140 UCL goals. If he manages it, this one will probably hurt Ronaldo the most.

With Ronaldo off to play in the Saudi Arabian league, Messi has the chance to overtake the Portuguese star this year. PSG face Bayern Munich in the Round of 16, and the Argentine needs just two assists to become the player with the most assists in the Champions League.

#3 Most goals in the Champions League

Lionel Messi will find it hard to beat Cristiano Ronaldo's goal tally in the UEFA Champions League this season.

The 35-year-old has to score 12 more goals to overtake the Portuguese star, and with the knockout stages starting, it would require him to go on a stunning run to get there.

Champions League Goals

🇵🇹 Ronaldo: 140 Goals
🇦🇷 Messi: 129 Goals

Messi will probably need one or two more seasons to accumulate the 12 goals he needs to surpass Cristiano's record 140 UCL goals. If he manages it, this one will probably hurt Ronaldo the most.

However, Messi is expected to sign a new deal at PSG or potentially even head back to Barcelona next season, which will eventually secure his place in Europe's elite competition for another season.

The French side are on top of Ligue 1 and are touted to win it, while the Catalan side have been doing well and will finish in the top 2. Both teams are set to see Champions League action again next year. Lionel Messi could easily break Ronaldo's record given two seasons to achieve it, if not more.