There are not enough words in the English language able to do Lionel Messi’s brilliance justice.
The shy boy from Rosario, Argentina made the life changing move to Barcelona’s La Masia academy at the age of 13 and has become one of the game’s greatest ever players with more than 700 goals to his name.
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Messi has hit the headlines this week, handing in a transfer request at Barca following their torrid season.
He could now be set to move clubs this summer, a transfer that would go down as one of football’s biggest ever.
Despite wanting out, Messi will go down as Barcelona’s greatest ever star and has broken a number of incredible records in his illustrious career.
talkSPORT.com has had a look at his many impressive feats.
Guinness World Record as top scorer for club and country in calendar year
Footballers don’t set their sights on breaking Guinness World Records but we feel this one Messi has achieved is more than worthy of a mention.
In 2012, he fired in an incredible 91 goals for club and country, doing it in just 69 matches. That’s an average of a goal every 68 minutes.
Top goalscorer in club season
The 2011/12 season may have been a slightly flat one by Barcelona’s standards as they only won the Copa del Rey – but it was a phenomenal campaign personally for Messi.
This was because he broke the record for most goals in a club season with a whopping 73 strikes in all competitions, 50 of them coming in LaLiga. Yes, 50!
Gerd Muller previously held the record for most goals in a single season with 67 for Bayern Munich in 1972/73.
Only player to score more than 40 goals in ten consecutive seasons
Messi’s ability to continue being brilliant for many years is what sets him apart from many of the game’s greats and this stat showcases his excellent consistency like no other.
From the start of the 2009/10 season to the end of the 2018/19 term, he managed to score more than 40 goals each campaign.
In this ten season span, he scored a mind-boggling 523 goals, an average of over 50 a season.
First footballer ever to score consecutively against all teams in a professional league
A goal against Celta Vigo seems almost mundane in the life of Messi but this particular strike in March 2013 was hugely significant.
This was because he managed to score against all 19 LaLiga sides in a row, with the streak starting in November 2012 with Messi scoring two goals against Mallorca.
No one else has achieved this feat.
Most European Golden Shoe awards
Again this shouldn’t be much of a surprise given Messi’s excellent goalscoring exploits but he is out there on his own with European Golden Shoe prizes.
Messi has won the award six times (2010, 2012, 2013, 2017, 2018 and 2019), with Juventus star Ronaldo his nearest rival with four titles.
Incidentally, talkSPORT’s very own Ally McCoist has two European Golden Shoe awards to his name – winning them in 1992 and 1993.
All-time top goalscorer in LaLiga
His 444 league goals also makes him the Spanish top flight’s all-time leading goalscorer.
Messi is a long way out in front, with Ronaldo second on 311 and Telmo Zarra third with 251.
Top assist provider in LaLiga
There’s more to Messi’s game than just goals though – the forward has supplied plenty of assists in his career.
And he also holds the record as LaLiga’s top assist provider ever with 183. Barcelona legend Xavi is second with 128.
Fastest player to reach 100 Champions League goals
He knows where the goal is when playing in the Champions League too, scoring 114 times in Europe’s premier club competition.
Messi became the fastest player to get to a century of Champions League strikes, doing it in just 123 games during Barcelona’s last-16 victory over Chelsea in the 2017/18 campaign.
But he doesn’t lead the way in all-time Champions League strikes though. Ronaldo is ahead of him with 128.
All-time Argentina top scorer
Somewhere where Messi has underachieved is at international level, having only won an Olympic gold medal in 2008 with Argentina’s national side.
But he still holds the record of most goals for his homeland with 70 strikes to his name. He’s a long way ahead of second-placed Gabriel Batistuta, who scored 52 times for Argentina.
Messi has more than twice as many international goals as Argentina icon Diego Maradona, who bagged 34 goals in his international career.
Top goalscorer in El Clasico history
It’s recognised as the world’s biggest fixture in club football and it’s absolutely no surprise that Messi has more goals than anyone in Barcelona v Real Madrid matches.
Everyone took notice when he scored a memorable hat-trick in a 3-3 draw against Los Blancos in March 2007, aged just 19 at the time.
And he’s had plenty of more El Clasico memories to savour, scoring 26 times in the fixture.
Messi is a long way ahead of Real Madrid legends Alfredo di Stefano and Cristiano Ronaldo, who are joint-second with 18 goals.
Most Ballon d’Ors
Finally, and perhaps the most impressive record of them all.
The Ballon d’Or is the award that all footballers dream of getting as it shows you’ve got the recognition from your peers.
Messi has won it six times (2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2015 and 2019), which is more than anyone else. Again, it’s Ronaldo who’s closest to him with five.
He was also the youngest two-time, three-time, four-time, five-time and six-time Ballon d’Or winner.
How lucky are we to have Lionel Messi around?
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