Ex-Barcelona manager Pep Guardiola once said about Lionel Messi, “Don’t write about him, don’t try to describe him. Just watch him.”
Lionel Andres Messi Cuccittini was born on June 24, 1987, in Rosario, Argentia. An avid football fan from the childhood, Messi travelled to Spain at the age of 13 and has remained with Spanish club FC Barcelona since.
The Blaugrana knew that there was something special about the young gun. Eventually, the world found the ‘Messiah of Football’. He became a player widely regarded as one of the greatest ever in the history of the football. More than the goals and the mystic, his quench and urge for the game is astounding.
It’s almost as if Messi’s setting and breaking records every time he dribbles the ball on the ground. A record-breaker since the day he took to the pitch, Barcelona’s extraordinary Argentine has many records to his name.
On his 33rd birthday, check out Messi’s records that seem unbreakable.
Most goals in La Liga
All hail King Messi. In his illustrious career of 15 years at Nou Camp, he has bagged 478 La Liga goals in 510 appearances. It seems, with age on his side, the goal machine is bound to score more. Messi also has another record on his name when he scored 50 goals in a single season (2011-12).
Cristiano Ronaldo, who has now moved to Italian club Juventus, ranks second with 311 goals from 292 appearances for Real Madrid. This means Messi will continue to add to his tally.
Scoring in most consecutive league matches
The Argentina captain is considered as a goal-scoring machine. While he may have changed his gameplay from the last few years, he is still scoring freely. But what Messi did in 2012-13 was truly remarkable, as he scored 33 goals in 21 consecutive La Liga games. Ultimately, it was Atletico Madrid, which managed to hold him off to pause his goal-scoring splash. The record is unlikely to be broken.
Most assists in La Liga
Lionel Messi’s skills in terms of scoring are uncontestable. He is excellent at driving the ball into the back of the net but further, he even tops at engineering assists for his teammates. Messi has 270 assists for Barcelona.
Most goals for European club
From over 15 years, Messi is donning the Barcelona jersey. Similar to what we mentioned, his goal total for the Spanish club is also a record for the most goals scored for a European club (629). He surpassed Thomas Muller’s record of 525 goals in 574 matches for German-bound Bayern Munich.
Youngest player to win Ballon d’Or
Ballon d’Or is considered as the most prestigious title in the world of football. Lionel Messi has earned a record six Ballon d’Or titles, in his career, to date. He was only 22 when he claimed his first Ballon d’Or in 2009 and then continued to bag four consecutive titles by the age of 25. He is the only player to win it four times in a row. Ronaldo has five. Though the contest will remain intense, Messi being one up and two years younger will help his cause.
Most official goals in a calendar year
2012 is the year Lionel Messi will ever forget. In 2012, Lionel Messi broke Gerd Muller’s feat of 85 goals, which was set in 1972, by recording a total of 91 goals (joint in all competitions for Barcelona and Argentina).
Messi’s tally of 91 goals came in 69 matches (79 in 60 appearances for the FC Barcelona and 12 in 9 games for his national team Argentina). The prolific goal-scorer also won the Guinness World Record for scoring the most official goals in a year, including both his club and the national team.
