The final one is debatable, but there’s no disputing that Lionel Messi is among the best football players of all time.
The 36-year-old striker continued to shatter records that might never be topped on Monday, winning his eighth Ballon d’Or, three more than any other player.
Messi ended his 20-year European football career with Barcelona in July to join Major League Soccer team Inter Miami in America. Messi led Argentina to World Cup triumph in Qatar in December.
We take a look at some of the benchmarks and milestones that Messi has set over the years as he continues to thrive for both club and country.
Eight Ballon d’Or awards are the most.
When Messi was named the 2022–23 men’s Ballon d’Or winner—the title given to the world’s best football player—it came as no surprise.
Despite the best efforts of prolific Manchester City striker Erling Haaland, he nearly assuredly extended his record of award wins to eight with his inspirational contribution in helping Argentina win the World Cup for the first time since 1986.
With five, Cristiano Ronaldo is now playing in Saudi Arabia and is Messi’s closest competitor; but, at 38 years old and not even included in the 30-man shortlist, it is difficult to imagine the Portuguese forward matching Messi’s total.
Due to Messi and Ronaldo’s dominance, just two past winners—Croatia’s Luka Modric and France’s Karim Benzema—remain active. They are both well into their 30s and have little prospect of breaking the record.
It will be a while before anyone gets close to Messi, but Haaland, Real Madrid and England midfielder Jude Bellingham, Real and Brazil forward Vinicius Jr., and even Bayern Munich and England striker Harry Kane will fancy their chances of being in the mix in the future.
50 goals is the most in a La Liga season.
It is hard to predict when this outstanding score achievement may be surpassed, although historical evidence indicates it may take some time.
In addition to setting a La Liga record, Messi’s 50 goals in 37 games for Barcelona in 2011–12 are also the most goals by any player in one of the top five leagues in Europe since the Premier League’s founding in 1992–93.
In the whole history of La Liga, which began in 1929, only three players have scored 40 goals. The last time the record was reached was seven years ago, when Luis Suarez accomplished it. Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo also achieved it twice.
Most goals scored in a season across all competitions: 73
This total appears to be unbeatable.
Messi set a record in the 2011–12 season when he scored 73 goals for Barcelona across all competitions. Since then, no one has come close.
Although Haaland appeared to score goals every week during his inaugural Premier League campaign last season, he ended with 52 goals, 21 fewer than Messi’s incredible feat.
Even the legendary Dixie Dean of Everton is 10 goals short, having scored an incredible 63 goals in 1927–28, an English premier league record that has held for 95 years.
One club’s most Champions League goals: 120
It appears like Messi may not break the record as the best scorer in the Champions League. He is currently in second place, 11 goals behind Cristiano Ronaldo’s 140, and both players have most likely played their final match of the campaign.
However, Messi’s 120 goals for Barcelona are the most goals a player has ever scored for a single team in the league.
The next-highest score is Ronaldo’s 105 for Real Madrid, followed far behind by Karim Benzema’s 78 for Real.
It seems unlikely that anyone will be able to duplicate Messi’s achievement anytime soon because it is uncommon for players in the modern game to stick with just one team.
Argentina’s most goals scored: 106
Messi continues to be Argentina’s top scorer by a wide margin.
Since beginning his international career in 2005, he has scored 48 goals more than Gabriel Batistuta, the previous record holder, and 63 more than Sergio Aguero, who is currently in third position.
It will take a long time, if ever, before anyone approaches Messi’s Argentina record because he is continually adding to his total and his two closest competitors have retired.