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Lionel Messi has been in a league of his own for years now, and this season was no different. Once again, the Argentine genius was arguably the best individual performer in La Liga despite failing to win the league title.
Having said that, you can put very little blame on Messi for Barcelona's shortcomings. The forward was almost always their best player on the pitch, whilst being the prime creator and prime scorer for the Catalans at the same time.
Lionel Messi left no stone unturned in trying to bail his team out from tricky situations week-in week-out, albeit in vain. However, his supreme individual performances led him to break a number of long-standing records in the Spanish first-division, further solidifying his status as probably the greatest to grace this league.
Let us take a look at 5 such records.
#5 Lionel Messi has the most La Liga hat-tricks (36)
This record might be particularly dear to Lionel Messi as he pipped his fiercest rival Cristiano Ronaldo to it. Before the season started, the Argentine found himself trailing the Portuguese sharp-shooter by one hat-trick, at 33. He joined Ronaldo at the top of the charts when he put Celta Vigo to the sword in November.
He took the throne all for himself less than a month later, at the expense of Mallorca. Lionel Messi's most recent triple came in February against Eibar in a 5-0 win, placing him two clear of Ronaldo at the top with 36 hat-tricks to his name.
It is a lead which he will certainly extend in the seasons to come, as he faces no immediate threat from any active La Liga player. Luis Suarez comes closest with 10!
#4 Lionel Messi has the most La Liga Player of the Month awards (7)
While 7 Player of the Month awards might not seem much for a player of Lionel Messi's caliber, especially considering that he played his entire senior career in Spain, it is possibly down to the fact that the award only came into existence from the 2013-14 season.
Messi had 5 of these before the beginning of the 2019-20 season, 1 behind new teammate Antoine Griezmann. As the Frenchman struggled to find his feet in Barcelona, the Argentine capitalised on the same and bagged the Player of the Month award in November and Februrary.
A lead of just the one award compared to Griezmann isn't much by any means, so this remains one of the few Lionel Messi records that are breakable after all.
#3 Lionel Messi has the most consecutive 20+ goal seasons (12)
This might have been Lionel Messi's lowest-scoring season since 2008-09, but it didn't stop him from adding yet another goal-scoring record to his name. He scored his 20th goal of the season in a 4-0 thrashing of Mallorca, also providing two more assists in the process - a typical Messi outing.
That goal made Lionel Messi the first player EVER to score 20+ league goals in 12 consecutive La Liga seasons. The kind of player he is, one would expect him to add to his tally in almost every other season he spends with Barcelona.
On top of his league exploits, his steady scoring in other competitions too meant that he is now joint-top when it comes to the most consecutive seasons with 30+ club goals, with 12. He is accompanied by the great Peyroteo and Gerd Muller at the summit of this chart.
#2 Lionel Messi has won the most Pichichi trophies (7)
By picking up the Pichichi last season, Lionel Messi equalled Telmo Zarra's record of 6 Pichichi trophies. Clearly, Messi wanted that record all for himself and that showed in his performances on the pitch this season.
25 goals were all it took the Argentine to secure yet another La Liga top-scorer award, thereby picking up his 7th Pichichi. His record will be safe for years to come as no active La Liga player even has 2 to begin with.
He equalled yet another record simultaneously, as he picked up his 4th consecutive Pichichi trophy. Only Real Madrid legends Alfredo di Stefano and Hugo Sanchez can boast of the same number.
#1 Lionel Messi has the most 20-20 seasons (1)
Yes, the only footballer in the history of Spanish league football to lodge 20+ goals and 20+ assists in the same season is Lionel Messi.
The Barcelona great's all-round ability as a footballer is simply mesmerising and perhaps this is the best available statistic to prove it. Messi was not only the best goalscorer in the country with 25 to his name, he was also the best assister by a landslide. His 21 assists is in fact a La Liga record as well, breaking Xavi's 20.
No one else came anywhere close this season, as Mikel Oyarzabal's 11 assists were good enough for second place.The only other footballer to have had such a ridiculous all-round season with 20+ goals and 20+ assists in Europe's top 5 leagues was Thierry Henry, when he wreaked havoc among Premier League defences back in 2002-03.
It is very fitting that the player to join Henry in this exclusive list is none other than Lionel Messi, who is perhaps the most complete attacker of this generation.
