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#3 Most European Golden Boots
Lionel Messi is not just a prolific goalscorer but is also renowned for his slick dribbling and eye-catching passes. With that being said, Messi has still managed to form a reputation of being an absolute machine when it comes to finding the back of the net.
The European Golden Boot is awarded to the player who scores the most number of goals in the league season of every European top division. Lionel Messi has been the recipient of this trophy on a record six occasions (2009-10, 2011-12, 2012-13, 2016-17, 2017-18 and 2018-19 seasons).
Among those seasons, he was the most effective in the 2011-12 season, as he netted 73 goals in all competitions. Moreover, he also recorded 19 assists to cap off a remarkable season.
#2 Most goals in a calendar year
Lionel Messi has broken a few records previously held by Gerd Muller, and this is one of them. The former Barcelona number 10 scored 91 goals for club and country in 2012, overtaking Gerd Muller as the most accomplished goal scorer in a single year.
German legend Gerd Muller scored 85 goals in 1972, a year in which he won the Euros with West Germany. However, his milestone was shattered by Lionel Messi 30 years later as the Argentine scored 79 and 12 goals for Barcelona and Argentina, respectively.
Despite the plethora of world-class strikers nowadays, it is almost inhumane to score 91 goals in a calendar year. This is another record set by Messi which is extremely hard to break.
#1 Lionel Messi has won the most Ballon d’Or awards
Ballon d’Or is the most illustrious individual award for football players. Over the last 15 years, it has become the personal property of two footballers: Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. It is an essential point of distinction while debating between the two superstars.
Lionel Messi gains a major upper hand in the GOAT argument due to the fact he has won the Ballon d’Or six times (2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2015 and 2019). Only Ronaldo has won it five times, and no other player has received this award more than thrice.
The PSG star has also been nominated 13 times for the award, which is joint-highest with Ronaldo. In a world where players dream of winning one Ballon d’Or, Messi has half a dozen of them already. This is one of the main reasons why he is the greatest of all time.
