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#17 Lionel Messi (Barcelona)
League - Spain La Liga
League coefficient (x2)
9 goals (18 points)
Anyone anywhere in the world who does not instantly recognize Lionel Messi has probably been living under a Rock for the last 15 years or had his/her memory wiped out - the Argentine's impact has been that far reaching.
Ever since he burst onto the scene as a funny looking but mesmerizing talented 18-year-old at the 2005 U20 World Cup hosted in the Netherlands, it has all been an upward trajectory for Lionel Messi in a way arguably not ever seen or maybe again.
Messi's records are so numerous that repeating them here would be an exercise in futility, while his rivalry with Ronaldo has been the stuff of myths and legends, and if you did not witness it first hand, it would be tempting to discard it as an old wives tale.
Lionel Messi is arguably the greatest player of all time, but beyond that, he is unarguably the greatest playmaker of his generation (and possibly in history), seeing spaces that no one else sees, and having the wherewithal to exploit them with pin-point dead accurate passes.
Beyond his playmaking abilities, Lionel Messi is also a goalscorer of the highest proportions, and this is perhaps best evidenced by the fact that he has won European Golden Boot a record breaking five times.
Having been snubbed off the individual awards for the last couple of seasons (and not even making a podium finish this year), Lionel Messi has begun the season like a house on fire. He had a shoulder injury earlier in the campaign which halted his progress, but he returned earlier than expected and is almsot on a one-man mission to restore his pride of place as the best player in the world.
In just 12 La Liga matches, Messi has scored nine goals, also adding seven assists to help Barcelona sit top of the La Liga standing, and you can bet that he is odds on favorite to be among the major contenders for his record breaking sixth European Golden Boot once the season comes to an end.
