LaLiga 2018-19: Lionel Messi creates history, becomes first player to score 400 goals in LaLiga

What's the story?

Barcelona captain and one of the greatest players of all time, Lionel Messi has achieved another extraordinary distinction in his career. Thanks to a sublime finish that double Barca's lead in their LaLiga fixture against Eibar, Messi scored his 400th goal in the Spanish top flight. He became the first player ever in the competition's history to achieve the astronomical feat. In the process, Barcelona comfortably beat Eibar 3-0.

He joins the elite club of sharpshooters in Jimmy McGrory, Ronaldo, Uwe Seeler, Josef Bican and Ferenc Puskas to have scored the 400 or more league goals in Europe's top flight in the history of the sport.

In case you didn't know...

Messi is also only the second player ever in the European top five to score 400 or more goals for a single club behind German goal-scoring machine Uwe Seeler, who had scored 402 top-flight goals for Hamburg in his heyday through the 1960s and 1970s.

Messi's rival and Juventus ace Cristiano Ronaldo became the only active footballer to score 400 league goals back in October last year, when he scored his fifth goal in Juventus colours in the Serie A against Genoa.

400 - Lionel Messi has become just the second player to reach 400+ goals in the history of Europe's top five leagues (400 goals), after Cristiano Ronaldo (409), reaching the milestone in 63 games fewer. Amazing. pic.twitter.com/4yoaVlnkIx

— OptaJose (@OptaJose) January 13, 2019

The heart of the matter...

The 31-year-old forward, who has been in phenomenal form this season, continued his goal-scoring ways into the new year as well and reached a milestone that isn't going to be matched, let alone surpassed anytime soon.

His finish from close range soon after the second half kicked off was the 400th league goal of the left-footed Argentine icon's illustrious career in Spain with Blaugrana.

Obviously, Gary Lineker one of his biggest fans, tweeted soon after the GOAT created history at Camp Nou and said it is a blessing to see the player in action.

Messi has just scored his 400th goal for @FCBarcelona in @LaLigaEN. It would be an astonishing statistic if he were just a goal scorer, but he’s so much more than that. We’re blessed to live in his time. 👏👏👏

— Gary Lineker (@GaryLineker) January 13, 2019

What's next?

The five-time Ballon d'Or winner has added to his ever-growing list of records with this goal and now he must have his eyes all set on winning another treble with the Catalan giants this season.