Lionel Messi's 5 longest goalless runs ever

#3 564 minutes (Apr '07 - May '07)

Messi went eight consecutive La Liga games without scoring in 2007.

Unlike the previous entries, this goalscoring drought of Messi included only La Liga games. He went six top-flight games without scoring. But he was only 19 back then, and still making his mark on the world stage.

Almost a month after his famous hat-trick in the El Clasico against Real Madrid, Messi endured a goalscoring drought. The Argentine ace went 564 minutes without finding the back of the net.

During the season, Messi scored a wonder goal against Getafe, displaying a lethal combination of pace, power, control and composure belying a teenager.

Messi's barren run finally ended with a brace against Atletico Madrid in a 6-0 rout. He would end the season with 17 league strikes - a decent haul for a teenager.

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#2 757 minutes (Nov '07 - Feb '08)

Messi went three months without a goal during the 2007-08 season.

Later that same year (2007), Messi endured another dry spell in front of the net. This time, it was a much longer one, as he went eight consecutive La Liga games spanning three months without scoring.

During this period, Messi endured a hamstring injury, leading him to miss three more games, including the 1-0 loss to Real Madrid in El Clasico. It is the longest number of games he has gone without a goal in La Liga.

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#1 816 minutes (Oct '06 - Mar '07)

Messi ended his longest-ever drought with a hat-trick against Real Madrid.

Messi scored 14 La Liga goals in 26 games despite suffering a horrific metatarsal fracture and a dip in form either side of the injury. That was a testament to his prodigious qualities.

That dip lasted seven top-flight games, starting in the 2-0 loss to Real Madrid in El Clasico. It also ended against Madrid in the second Clasico of the season. Messi scored his first hat-trick against the Merengues, the first of his career, as he announced his return to form in some style.

Messi would end the season with 17 goals across competitions