Lionel Messi has been an inspiration for one and all for more than a decade. The GOAT has mesmerised fans with his brilliance and his impact at Barcelona is unmatchable. The club and the player’s sync has helped each other win a plethora of titles. Messi dazzled and grew from strength to strength and contributed in Barcelona’s domestic dominance and four Champions League triumphs.
Messi is arguably the greatest footballer of the modern era and his consistency is next to none. Having found the back of the net 627 times in 718 matches for Barcelona, the Argentine’s prowess in front of goal is unmatchable.
Lionel Messi is the greatest to have graced La Liga and the UEFA Champions League in recent years alongside fellow GOAT, Cristiano Ronaldo. The six-time Ballon d’Or and European Golden Shoe winner is an unstoppable force even at the age of 32. He could still go on to establish his name in the record books for several years to come.
In this article, we look at seven unique records held by Barcelona talisman Lionel Messi.
#7 Messi has scored the most goals for a single club in the Champions League
The Argentine has amassed a total of 114 goals in the UEFA Champions League. He is the second-highest goalscorer in the history of the competition and is only behind Cristiano Ronaldo (128). However, Messi has amassed all of his UCL goals for Barcelona, making him the number one in terms of most goals for a single club.
#6 Messi has scored the most goals in La Liga history
The 32-year-old has scored a staggering 438 goals in just 474 La Liga matches. He is the highest goalscorer in the history of the competition with a goal to match ratio of 0.93. Notably, he is the only player with 400-plus goals in La Liga history and this record could remain intact for a very long time. Lionel Messi was also the first player to score 300 goals in La Liga.
#5 Messi has scored the most goals in a single La Liga season
The Barcelona ace’s tally of 50 La Liga goals in the 2011-12 season is a unique record which is so far unmatched by any player. Only Cristiano Ronaldo (48) in the 2015-16 season and Messi himself (46) in the 2012-13 campaign came close to the 50-goal mark in a single La Liga season.
#4 Messi has the most hat-tricks in La Liga and the joint-most in Champions League
The world-class Argentine has registered the most hat-tricks in La Liga, with the 32-year-old netting 36 trebles in the Spanish top-flight. Former Real Madrid star Cristiano Ronaldo has 34 La Liga hat-tricks to his name. The duo holds the record of netting the most Champions League hat-tricks (8).
#3 Messi is the all-time record goalscorer for Barcelona
With 627 goals and counting, Lionel Messi is the all-time leading goalscorer for Barcelona. Notably, no other player in the club’s history has scored 200-plus goals. Among active players, Luis Suarez has 191 goals for the Catalan giants to his name.
#2 Messi has the joint-most goals in a single Champions League game
Another unique record held Lionel Messi is that he has scored the joint-most goals in a single Champions League match. The diminutive Argentine scored five goals against Bayer Leverkusen in the 2011-12 season, with the Catalan giants winning the match 7-1. The record was equalled by Luiz Adriano, who notched five for Shakhtar Donetsk against BATE in the 2013-14 campaign.
#1 Messi has the most number of goals in El Clasico
Barcelona superstar Lionel Messi has scored 26 times against Real Madrid, the most in El Clasico history. Alfredo Di Stéfano and Cristiano Ronaldo are second on the list, tied on 18.
What other unique records of Lionel Messi can you think of? Sound off in the comment section.