It has been a familiar dose of shade thrown at Lionel Messi over the years. It's all very well playing for the oh-so-fancy, heated-towel-rails Barcelona for his entire career, but could the supposed GOAT deliver the goods on a cold, rainy night in Stoke? 

Like Cristiano Ronaldo could for example. 

While scoring at the bet365 stadium, home of Stoke City in England, is not being interpreted as the pinnacle of soccer achievement, the barb from Messi detractors is that the Barcelona man would never prove himself until he left the comfort zone of LaLiga.

A summer move to PSG rather than the Potteries means that while that much-anticipated cold night in Stoke may not come to pass, there is a chance to see what Messi can do in the snow of Saint Etienne or the drizzle of Dijon. 

Or maybe even the rain at Reims, this weekend, the potential location for the start of Messi's official PSG playing career. And yes, to borrow from Jay-Z, the weather forecast has anticipation for precipitation for Sunday's game in the market town in the northeast of France. 

Why less is more for Ronaldo 

Over the summer, Messi fixed one dent in his armor in the forever war of the Messi vs. Ronaldo debate - winning a major title with his country. A Copa America victory with Argentina, against Brazil, in Brazil, matches Cristiano Ronaldo's Euro 2016 win with Portugal. 

Now the battle returns to club level. And it's the 'club' aspect which is key here and the achievements earned with them. Statistically speaking, Messi edges Cristiano Ronaldo in terms of league titles - 10 with Barcelona compared to Ronaldo's seven across four clubs. Ronaldo beats Messi in the Champions League stakes with five trophies compared to four. What's more, CR7's most recent victory in the Champions League is in 2018, better than Messi's in 2015. 

While Messi fans boast of 14 combined league and Champions League trophies compared to Ronaldo's 12, Team CR7 argues that it is the quality not the quantity that counts. All of Messi's triumphs have been for Barcelona alongside some of the best players in the world for a decade-and-a-half. 

Ronaldo has won his trophies in three different teams - Manchester United, Real Madrid and Juventus. To break those league titles down, Ronaldo has won three Premier League titles, two in LaLiga and two Serie A wins. The Portuguese poacher's Champions League victories were with Manchester United and Real Madrid. 

Is Messi the new Tom Brady?

It's the Tom Brady effect. Ronaldo has proven that he can be dropped into any team and drive it to success. According to Team Ronaldo, Messi is still a one-club wonder. But that could change from this Sunday. "It will be a new experience for me, new rivals, new stadiums, I am very happy to experience this new atmosphere," said a positive Messi at his PSG presentation. 

While Messi arguably doesn't have the time left in his career to play in four separate European leagues like Ronaldo has done, he can certainly start to make a mark in at least one at PSG. A Ligue 1 title victory is a given for PSG's ambitions - Messi, or no Messi - but once again, it's the Champions League that is the Holy Grail. 

The past two years have been so near yet so far for PSG with a final and semifinal appearance. With Messi in tow, at least one victory in the two definitive years that Messi has with PSG is required to make a stronger case for superiority in the Messi vs. Ronaldo battle. 

Arguing over individual brilliance is an exercise in futility and will never be resolved to any side's satisfaction. Ronaldo's view that "we have to look on this rivalry with a positive spirit because it’s a good thing," will never to come pass. 

Instead the impact of both players at their respective clubs is set to move up a gear as Messi gets ready for Ligue 1's version of Stoke. 

Catch Reims vs. PSG live on beIN SPORTS on Sunday from 2PM ET / 11AM