Lionel Messi, the Argentine superstar, breaks Cristiano Ronaldo’s record for scoring the most goals in the top five European leagues. The former is currently playing for Paris Saint-Germain F.C. (PSG), whereas the latter is playing for a club in Saudi Arabia, named Al-Nassr F.C.
Highlights
The Record
Messi and Ronaldo are not just considered the greatest football players of this generation but also arguably the two greatest players of all time. The consistency and dominance of both players have also made them two of the most loved stars in all of the sports.
Lionel, who joined PSG in 2021, in a Ligue 1 game against Montpellier, scored a goal in the 72nd minute. Scoring a goal is not something new for this all-time great, World Cup-winning footballer but this was a special one.
With this spectacular goal, Lionel Messi took his tally of goals in Europe’s top 5 leagues to 697. He successfully overtook Cristiano Ronaldo’s feat of scoring the most goals in club football in Europe. While playing for European clubs, Ronaldo scored 696 goals. Currently, he is playing for a Saudi Arabian club, Al-Nassr F.C.
Messi, a record breaker
The Argentine, ever since his club and international debut showcased immense talent and skill. Know to be one of the players with the finest dribbling skills in the history of the sport, he is also a seven-time Ballon d’Or winner. This feat of winning the trophy seven times is the most in football history ever.
He also led Argentina to victory at the recently concluded FIFA Men’s World Cup 2022. Lionel was the highest goal scorer of the team and the second highest in the tournament, just behind the French footballer Kylian Mbappé. He was also declared the ‘Best Player’ of the tournament. This world cup, he also made the record of being the only player to make assists in five different editions of the FIFA world cup.
Messi only has 98 goals for Argentina but holds various other records for his home country. He has the most caps for Argentina and South America. He is also the only Argentine player to score in four different World Cups. Along with that, he is the only player in the history of the FIFA World Cup to score in the Group Stage, Round of 16, Quarter-Finals, Semi-Finals, as well as Finals. He is also the youngest Argentine player to score in a World Cup game.
Messi also holds the record for most goals scored in a calendar year. He scored 91 goals (international and club included) in 2012.
Club Career
Along with these international accolades, Messi also has a club football career that is unmatched. He began his career with Barcelona F.C. before joining PSG in 2021.
He made his debut in 2004 and since then, the world knew that they are going to witness history. He was a player the world had never seen before and since his early days itself, he took the football world by storm. His speed, control of the ball, and goal-scoring abilities are still unmatched. Many consider Messi to not just be a football player but an artist on the field.
Messi holds the record for scoring in the most consecutive Champions League tournaments (18) as well as having scored the most Champions League goals for one club, 120 for Barcelona F.C. These are just a few of the long list of records that this magician on the football field holds.
