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What's the story?
Lionel Messi could break Pele's long-standing goalscoring record in the coming season if he continues his form.
The Brazilian great scored 643 goals for Santos from 1956 to 1974 and Lionel Messi is already closing in on that record each week with his exploits.
In case you didn’t know….
Lionel Messi keeps proving that he is football's finest with his exploits each week. The five-time Ballon d'Or winner is enjoying one of his best seasons with Barcelona in his illustrious career.
Messi has racked up a staggering 45 goals and 21 assists in all competitions. The 31-year-old leads the race for the European Golden Shoe with 33 league goals and is now the top scorer of the Champions League this season with 10 goals.
Not just goals, but Messi leads the assist charts as well with 14 league assists and 21 in all competitions. There is no doubt that the Argentine talisman is head and shoulders above the rest this season.
Brazilian great, Pele, needs no introduction. Widely regarded as the frontrunner in the list of greatest players of all time, Pele has played a pivotal role in the three World Cups Brazil won during his tenure. It goes without saying that Pele holds numerous records, one of which is the number of goals scored for Santos.
The heart of the matter…
With his two goals against Manchester United, the Argentine genius is now just three goals short of reaching 600 landmark goals for Barcelona, and 46 goals away from Pele's record of scoring 643 goals.
AS reports that Messi could break the record in 2019-20 if he keeps his form. The Argentine will surely reduce the gap from 46 in the remainder of the current campaign, which makes it natural for him to break the record in the next.
Messi's worst goalscoring number is the 38 goals he scored, and even his lowest total would be enough to break the sensational record Pele holds with Santos for over four decades.
What's next?
Barcelona has everything to play for in the current season and will face Real Sociedad next in LaLiga.
