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What's the story?
Lionel Messi, who recently created history by becoming the first player ever to win the European Golden Shoe six times, has a golden opportunity to permanently etch his name in the history books yet again.
The Barcelona captain has scored in a record-equalling five finals of the Copa del Rey, a tournament in which he's been on the winning side four times, and can extend his run to six if he manages to get a goal this time around.
In case you didn't know...
Barca are the most successful team in the competition that has taken place every year since its inception in 1903, except for the brief hiatus of two years in 1937 and 1938 due to the Spanish Civil War, lifting the prestigious trophy on 30 occasions.
Legendary Spanish forward Telmo Zarra, after whom the Zarra trophy (awarded to the Spanish player with most goals in a LaLiga campaign) is named, won the Spanish Cup five times with Athletic Bilbao.
As per AS, he also found the back of the net in five finals between 1942 and 1950, a record that has stood the test of time for the last seven decades. Following his goal in last year's 5-0 thumping of Sevilla in the final, Messi had equalled the icon's record.
Messi, 31, has won the Pichichi trophy and the European Golden Shoe six times in his illustrious career.
The heart of the matter
The 2019 Copa del Rey final presents a very unique chance for Messi to become the first player to score goals in six cup finals, which will put him ahead of Zarra, who netted in five.
The Catalan clubs have been heavily dependent on the brilliance of the five-time Ballon d'Or winner throughout the season and it seems likely that he'll play a crucial role in the final as well.
So, the possibility of him beating a 69 year-old record seems quite high, although he has a long way to go if he aspires to the all-time top goalscorer in the tournament, with his 50 goals making him the player with only the sixth-most goals.
What's next?
After wrapping up his season at the Nou Camp, Messi will head straight to Brazil to lead his side in the 46th edition of the Copa America that kicks off from 15 June.
