Luis Suarez came off the bench for Barcelona in their shock 2-1 loss to newly promoted Alaves and created an unrivalled record. Though he could not inspire his side to avoid defeat at home, he made his 100th appearance for the Spanish champions after joining from Liverpool in 2014 in a deal which was said to be worth £75 million.
In his 100 appearances for the Catalans, he has won 80 games while being on the losing side just 12 times.
Suarez now has the higher number of goals and assists in his first 100 games than the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi. The Uruguayan has scored a massive 88 goals and provided 43 assists in his first 100 games for Barcelona.
Suarez's combined tally of 131 beats Ronaldo's tally of 124 in his first 100 matches for Real Madrid. Ronaldo won 76 games from his 100 while Suarez has beaten that record by winning 80 from his 100 matches.
Lionel Messi, on the other hand, scored 41 goals and provided 15 assists in his first 100 appearances when he burst onto the scene in 2004. Cristiano Ronaldo arrived as an established player in Spain after wrecking havoc in the Premier League whereas Messi was a teenager when he completed his first 100 games for the Catalans.
Luis Suarez beating these two giants of modern football can be termed as his biggest achievement.
Though Cristiano had scored more goals than Suarez (95 to Uruguayan's 88) in his first 100 matches, Suarez's overall contribution is better than the three-time Ballon d'Or winner. The 29-year-old scored 59 goals in all competitions last season which was higher than anyone else and still was shockingly not included in UEFA's top three players of last campaign.
Thierry Henry, one of the best strikers of his time could not stop gushing about the Barcelona forward after achieving this record. He said, "He is, by a distance, the best number nine in the world. Why? Eighty-eight goals and 43 assists in 100 games. The man has been involved in 131 goals. Where have you seen that from a striker?"
Luis Suarez, on current form, is the only player who can go on to win the Ballon d’Or after the monopoly of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.
Suarez vs Ronaldo vs Messi: Combined Tally after 100 games in La Liga
| Player | Goals | Assists | Combined Tally | Win % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Luis Suarez | 88 | 43 | 131 | 80 |
| Cristiano Ronaldo | 95 | 29 | 124 | 76 |
| Lionel Messi | 41 | 14 | 55 | 67 |
