Lionel Messi breaks Cristiano Ronaldo's record after scoring in PSG's crucial win over Montpellier

Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) star Lionel Messi has broken rival Cristiano Ronaldo's record of scoring the most goals in Europe's top-five leagues. The Argentine surpassed Ronaldo when he netted the Parisians' second goal in their 3-1 league win over Montpellier on February 1.

Messi scored his 697th club goal, having played his entire senior career in Europe's top-five leagues. He overtook Ronaldo's tally of 696 goals while taking 84 fewer games than his Portuguese counterpart.

The former Barcelona star is now just four short of his rival's tally of 701 all-time club goals. Ronaldo is yet to score for his new club Al-Nassr in a competitive encounter so it might not take long for the Argentine to overtake him.

This was the 35-year-old's 14th goal of the season for PSG across competitions. He has also provided 14 assists for the Parisians in 23 overall appearances this term.

The Argentine was subjected to criticism from some quarters after failing to find his pre-World Cup form immediately after returning to Paris. However, he seems to have regained his mojo and will now play a crucial role for his club in their quest to win the elusive UEFA Champions League trophy.

PSG earn much-needed win over Montpellier as Lionel Messi gets on the scoresheet

PSG entered the Montpellier match on the back of just one win in their last four Ligue 1 encounters. Desperate for a win, the French giants were without Neymar for the all-important match-up, while Kylian Mbappe was forced off in the 21st minute after picking up a hamstring injury.

Messi, however, made sure the club went past the line, scoring their second goal in the 72nd minute after Fabian Ruiz opened the scoring in the 55th minute. Montpellier hit back through Arnaud Nordin a minute from full-time but Warren Zaire-Emery's injury-time strike sealed the deal for PSG.

They now have a five-point advantage over second-placed Marseille in the league table after 21 games.

About the author

Sankalp is a veteran European and international football writer at Sportskeeda. He has a total experience of 8 years, having previously worked for some top companies such as Wisden India and Fox Sports Asia. An engineer by qualification, Sankalp places a very high emphasis on accuracy by leaving no stone unturned in his research, and prides himself on showcasing the human aspect of the sporting world.

Sankalp has had the privilege of interviewing senior Indian cricketers such as Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Bhuvaneshwar Kumar and Chris Woakes in his experience so far. He has also covered various Indian and international matches, such as the 2019 ICC ODI World Cup when working for FOX.

Sankalp started following football after watching the 2002 FIFA World Cup with his family. He is a die-hard Manchester United supporter, who started following the club due to David Beckham. His favorite manager is Sir Alex Ferguson and favorite player is Lionel Messi, both for setting unattainable benchmarks. He considers Barcelona’s incredible 6-1 second leg comeback win in the 2016-17 UCL against Paris Saint-Germain as one of the most iconic matches ever.

Along with European football, Sankalp also follows the Indian Super League. When not writing, Sankalp enjoys traveling and watching sports.

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Edited by Sudeshna Banerjee