Barcelona star Lionel Messi has so many records to his name that it is almost impossible to remember them all. Before the era of Cristiano Ronaldo and Messi, records were set with great difficulty and a number of players had had their names set in stone next to numerous records.
It is safe to say that the last eight winners of the Ballon d’Or (namely Messi and Ronaldo) have erased these names and made them their own. No two players have dominated club football on an individual level as much as these two whose mere presence simply elevates the Clasico between Real Madrid and Barcelona to new and higher levels.
Messi himself has a few records which will not be broken anytime soon. But there is one club record that he is yet to break – the most goals scored from direct free-kicks.
In six seasons with the Catalan club, former player Ronald Koeman had an amazing conversion rate for free-kicks. He had scored 25 goals from dead ball situations outside the box with his powerful right foot – an achievement yet to be surpassed ever since he left the club in 1995.
In the two decades since, only two players have come close to the now Southampton manager – Ronaldinho and Messi.
However, one record Messi would struggle to break is Koeman’s record for most consecutive penalties converted in La Liga – 25 in all!
| # | Player | Seasons | Free-kick Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ronald Koeman | 6 | 25 |
| 2 | Lionel Messi | 12* | 22 |
| 3 | Ronaldinho | 5 | 20 |
Messi in sublime form in 2016
After missing two months of the season with a knee injury, the Argentine forward was lagging behind in the goalscoring race. However, he has quickly made up ground in the Pichichi race and does not look like he is going to stop. Cristiano Ronaldo leads the way with 27 goals with Luis Suarez one behind on 26. However, Messi is now up to third with 22 goals, surpassing Neymar on 20 goals.
In 2016 alone, Messi has scored 23 goals in all competitions. Add his six assists and there is no question why Barcelona are comfortably placed to chase all three trophies yet again.
| SEASON | 2008/09 | 2009/10 | 2010/11 | 2011/12 | 2012/13 | 2013/14 | 2014/15 | 2015/16 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GOALS | 1 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 6* |
This season has also been Messi’s best when it comes to taking free-kicks. Time and again he has beaten both the wall and the goalkeeper to find the back of the net and teams are well aware of his devastating capability on dead ball situations. He has six goals from free-kicks this season – three of which came against Sevilla alone in two games!
| Competition | Free-Kick Goals |
|---|---|
| La Liga | 16 |
| Champions League | 2 |
| Copa del Rey | 1 |
| UEFA Super Cup | 2 |
| Spanish Super Cup | 1 |
Stats courtesy of WhoScored and FC Barcelona
