5 records set by Lionel Messi in 2019

#4: Scoring against 34 different opponents in the Champions League

Lionel Messi about to curl in, in a dead ball situation

Messi became the first player in Champions Leaguehistory to score against 34 different teams in the competition when the Barcelona captain scored his side's second goal in the 3-1 home win over Borussia Dortmund.

34 - Leo Messi has scored against 34 different teams in the UCL, more than any other player in the competition. Historic. pic.twitter.com/qEkVoxCbva
— OptaJose (@OptaJose) November 27, 2019

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Messi's tally of 9 goals against Arsenal is his highest he has netted against any team in the Champions League, while his 26 goals against English clubs is the most he has scored against clubs from any country.

Messi's Champions League goals by opposition club

#5: Record breaking 6th Ballon d'Or

Lionel Messi shared the record of most Ballon d'Or awards (5 apiece) with Cristiano Ronaldo. Following his goal-scoring exploits during the year, the Barcelona captain became the first player to win 6 Ballon d'Ors . Messi is the only player in the history of the prestigious award to have won the coveted Ballon d'Or in 4 consecutive years, doing so between 2009 and 2012.

🌟 L E O M E S S I 🌟The @FCBarcelona star wins his SIXTH #BallondOr - no player has won as many as him. 🐐💙 Messi is #LaLigaHistory. ❤️ pic.twitter.com/PtnCZLGGub
— LaLiga (@LaLigaEN) December 2, 2019

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You may also like: 5 players to have won the most Ballon d'Or awards

About the author

Bhargav is a veteran sports journalist and editor at Sportskeeda, with a rich professional experience of 17 years, working for the likes of Siemens and Bombay Dyeing. An avid football and tennis follower for over three decades, Bhargav uses his vast knowledge and experience, attention to detail, an unbiased yet interesting writing style, and thorough research to craft insightful articles, which have raked in over 20 million reads so far.

Bhargav supports Italy at national level, a team steeped in tradition and history according to him. He still harbors the heartbreak from the Azzurri’s 1994 FIFA World Cup final defeat against Brazil, and protagonist-turned-antagonist from the game, ‘Divine Ponytail’ Roberto Baggio is his all-time favorite player. His favorite manager is Marcelo Lippi, who ended Italy’s 24-year wait for the World Cup trophy, winning it in 2006.

Outside Europe’s top five leagues, he follows the MLS following Lionel Messi’s move in 2023 but favors Cristiano Ronaldo in the G.O.A.T. debate. During his free time, Bhargav enjoys driving off to new places and singing.

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Edited by rehaan díaz