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We have lost count of all the records Lionel Messi has broken throughout his entire career for both club and country.
The Barcelona ace has already scored a record number of 597 for the Catalan giants and is still on course to break Pele’s world record of 643 goals in Santos colour.
The five-time Ballon d’Or winner is also the top scorer for the Albiceleste. With 65 goals in the famous sky blue and white shirt, Messi has led Argentina to three consecutive finals of three major international tournaments, including 2014 Brazil World Cup, 2015 Chile Copa America and 2016 Copa America Centenario in United States.
However, in this campaign, despite being on the wrong side of thirty, Messi has once again proved the old cliché of "age is just a number". With 45 goals across all competitions in Europe, Messi has emerged as an early favourite to lift the Ballon d’Or 2019.
Here are the 5 most obscure Messi records:
#5 Only player to score a World Cup goal in his teens, twenties and thirties
With the goal against Nigeria in the group stages of 2018 Russia World Cup, La Pulga became the only player in history to score a World Cup goal in his teens, twenties and thirties.
Previously, Messi scored his first ever World Cup goal as a teenager in his debut World Cup campaign back in 2006 under the management of José Pékerman.
Messi suffered a goalless World Cup for the Albiceleste in 2010 as Argentina crashed out in the quarter-final stage, at the hands of Germany.
However in 2014, Messi netted on 4 occasions and inspired Argentina to their first World Cup final since 1994, only to suffer a heartbreaking 1-0 narrow defeat against their old foe, Germany.
#4 Most assists in World Cup history
Lionel Messi currently holds the most assists provided in the World Cup finals with 5 assists to his name.
Messi became the youngest player to represent Argentina at 2006 FIFA World Cup after coming on as a substitute against Serbia and Montenegro. Messi assisted Argentina’s fourth strike and scored the final goal in Argentina’s 6-0 triumph.
Despite having a goalless World Cup in 2010, Messi was at the peak of his prowess in South Africa. His playmaking ability was instrumental in Argentina’s gameplay and helped them to cross the barriers of the group stages. Messi registered one assist to his name and couldn’t inspire an average Argentina side to World Cup glory as their journey once again ended at the hands of Germany.
In 2014 Brazil World Cup, Messi assisted Di Maria’s match winner in the extra time against Switzerland in Round of 16 tie.
Meanwhile in 2018 World Cup in Russia, the 31-year-old Argentine assisted twice in Argentina’s 3-4 defeat in the Round of 16 stage at the hands of the eventual champions France.
#3 Most hat-tricks in the UEFA Champions League
Lionel Messi shares the most hat-tricks record in the UEFA Champions League with his on-field rival Cristiano Ronaldo. They have scored a staggering eight hat-tricks each in the UEFA Champions League throughout their career.
Messi’s first hat-trick in the most prestigious club competition in Europe came against Arsenal back in 2010. Messi bagged four goals against an Arsene Wenger-managed Arsenal team and earned the tag of the "greatest ever" from the veteran French manager.
Messi’s 8th and most recent hat-trick came on the first matchday of this year’s Champions League group stage tie against PSV.
Since the refurbishment of the UEFA Champions League back in 1992, only twelve players have scored four or more goals in a match and Lionel Messi is the only player to achieve this phenomenal feat twice. Messi also shares the record of scoring five goals in a Champions League match with Luiz Adriano of Spartak Moscow.
#2 Only player to score and assist in every competition in one season
Messi enlisted his name in the Guinness book of World Records back in 2012, after scoring 91 goals for club and country in a calendar year. But in that very season, Messi also became the first player in history to score an assist in every competition in one season.
Although Barcelona failed to win another sextuple in 2011-12 season, their talisman set a new world record of scoring and assisting in every competition in one campaign, including LaLiga, UEFA Champions League, Copa del Rey, FIFA Club World Cup, Supercopa de Espana and UEFA Super Cup.
Under the management of Pep Guardiola, Messi was at his scintillating best back then, as he racked up as many as 73 goals and also assisted 29 times during the course of the campaign.
#1 Only player to win a 'best player' award at every international tournament
Lionel Messi also holds the record of winning the 'best player' or the 'Golden Ball' award at every international tournament. Messi has already won the best player award three times in three different international competitions, including Under-20 World Cup, Olympics, FIFA World Cup and Copa America.
Messi was awarded the Golden Ball as the best player of the tournament in the World Youth Championship as he led Argentina to their fifth Championship and finished the tournament as the top goal scorer.
In 2008 Beijing Olympics, Messi inspired Argentina to clinch the gold medal. Messi assisted the only Di Maria goal in the final against Nigeria and was singled out along with Riquelme by FIFA as the stand-out performers of the tournament.
Messi added one of the most prestigious individual awards to his kitty after claiming the Golden Ball in 2014 Brazil World Cup. With four goals and one assist, Messi inspired Argentina to their first World Cup final since 1990. Although the Argentine wizard failed to cross the last hurdle, FIFA recognized Messi’s individual brilliance with the tournament’s best player award.
Messi was reportedly selected for the most valuable player of the tournament in Copa America 2015, but the Argentine rejected the honour as he once again failed to break Argentina’s trophy drought at the international level.
