LIONEL MESSI SCORED a landmark 100th goal in European competition, netting for Barcelona against Olympiacos in the Champions League last night to join Cristiano Ronaldo in an exclusive club.
The Argentina star went into the match having netted 96 in the Champions League and three in the Uefa Super Cup, and he brought up his continental century with a free-kick at Camp Nou.
Dimitris Nikolaou, whose own-goal let Barca open the scoring, scythed Messi down on the edge of the area and Olympiacos goalkeeper Silvio Proto could not prevent him making it 2-0, parrying a curling effort into the roof of the net.
Lucas Digne soon made it three, on the end of a Messi assist, with Ernesto Valverde’s men coasting despite Gerard Pique’s red card shortly before half-time.
Messi scored the first of his 100 in November 2005 in a 5-0 hammering of Olympiacos’ great rivals Panathinaikos, whom he has since gone on to score another three times against.
Arsenal remain his favourite prey, however, with Messi scoring nine times against Arsene Wenger’s men down the years, one more than both Celtic and AC Milan.
His tally against Arsenal is tied with Ronaldo’s respective haul against Bayern Munich in Europe, making them joint record-holders for goals against a single team.
Messi has, of course, scored all 97 of his Champions League goals for Barcelona, taking him five clear of Ronaldo as the player with the most goals for the same club in the competition.
Here are just some of the records he now holds at club level:
- Most Champions League hat-tricks (shared with Cristiano Ronaldo): 7
- Most Champions League group stage goals: 60
- Most Champions League round of 16 goals: 21
- Most Fifa Ballon d’Or awards: 5
- Most La Liga goals: 360
- Most La Liga goals in a single season: 50 (2011/12)
- Most goals in a calendar year: 79 in 2012 (91 including goals for Argentina)
Players with most goals in Uefa competitions
113 – Cristiano Ronaldo* (151 games)
100 – Lionel Messi* (122)
76 – Raúl González (158)
70 – Filippo Inzaghi (114)
67 – Andriy Shevchenko (142)
62 – Ruud van Nistelrooy (92)
61 – Gerd Müller (69)
59 – Thierry Henry (140)
59 – Henrik Larsson (108)
56 – Zlatan Ibrahimović* (139)
54 – Eusébio (70)
53 – Alessandro Del Piero (129)
51 – Karim Benzema* (99)
50 – Sergio Agüero* (86)
50 – Didier Drogba (102)
50 – Klaas-Jan Huntelaar* (87)
*still playing
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9 )Don’t forget he holds the record for hiding most unpaid tax from the Spanish authorities
Those goal records are crazy. Especially when you consider the fact he is a playmaker not a striker, and often gives up a good chance to let his team mates in on the act. Several squared balls and penalties given away to Neymar and Luis the past few years.
1 henrik larsson
Don’t think you can be classed as holding a record if you share it with someone but 7 is still not bad
@Mr Nimziki: Emmm yes you do. You jointly hold the shared recod then. My god man that’s common sense.
@Brian: record*
@Brian: that’s not what it says you silly little boy. It’s says he holds the record. Now I will leave you to your usual Messi v Ronaldo etc games with the other kids .
@Mr Nimziki: And he does hold the record. What’s your point
@Leon L.: if it needs explaining maybe you should go back to school, if by chance you’re still in school leave !!! You’re only coddling yourself and wasting teachers time and resources.
@Mr Nimziki: he still holds the record, shared or not. Clearly English isnt your first language. If they said he held the outright record of course that would be incorrect, but they don’t. Like that’s really simple stuff man come on. Jesus.
Even coming from a Pool fan like myself, it’s only fair to recognise how many of Ronaldo’s early CL games were as a winger as opposed to out and out striker.
@Eoin Long: Messi isn’t a striker he’s a playmaker
@Eoin Long: he’s definitely played his whole career in much further advanced roles than King Leo. If you’re going to praise anyone for their goal record in spite of non-advanced roles it is downright weird for it to be Ronald.
@Eoin Long: ridiculous comment!
I’d love to know how many of Ronaldo’s goals were penalties.I’d say it’s a hell of a lot more than Messi’s total.
@Niall Cunneen: Only 1 more, he has scores 12 penalties.Both have missed 3.
@Niall Cunneen: I also wonder how many Ronald stabbed into net within 10 yards after others did the hard work compared to King Leo.
This must sting the poor Prima Donna’s still delusional with their 2008 poster’s on their wall. He aint GOAT. Messi is. He aint even greatest top 10 of all time. Ahhaahhahaah
@Mrs. Nugent: either are you.
@Mrs. Nugent: ah no one of them will come in and say Ronald scored 113… despite Ronald being a few years older and being a goal poacher. The fact Messi is even on 100 mainly playing a much deeper role is amazing stuff.
@Brian: And the fact he is 100% all about THE TEAM is why he is loved so much more.
Muller was something almost a goal a game. Same record at International level, always right place at the right time
@Oliver Curley: Der Bomber ! Amen to that. Prolific.