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Barcelona icon Lionel Messi is undoubtedly one of the greatest footballers to have played the game. He has won every team honour there is to win in club football and the Argentinian holds the record of winning the game’s most prestigious individual honour, the Ballon d’Or, a record-breaking five times.Born and raised in the subtropical river land of Rosario, Messi has always been destined for greatness and his journey began when he joined the Catalan side when he was just 13. He rose swiftly through the ranks of the club’s academy, La Masia, during his teenage years and introduced himself to the world when he made his competitive debut four years later against Espanyol in 2004.The rest, as they say, is history. Messi has enjoyed a gloriously successful career and has shown his worth at every possible juncture of a very storied spell at the Catalan club.The Argentine phenomenon has made a habit of rewriting history in Europe; it seems like every time he plays, Messi shatters some record and sets a new benchmark. His propensity for record breaking on the football pitch is remarkable and, clearly, we haven’t seen his best yet.It’s the true mark of a real superstar; performing at the highest level consistently and having a knack for scoring big goals. Let’s have a look at some of Messi’s remarkable records that will not be broken anytime soon.Updated on 23 March 2017.
#1 Youngest player to win 3 Ballon d\'Or awards: 24 years, 6 months and 17 days
Messi is the first and only football player in history to have won the FIFA Ballon d’Or on five occasions, four of which he achieved consecutively from 2009 to 2012, beating his rival Cristiano Ronaldo on all of those occasions.
Not only has Messi won the Ballon d'Or four times a row, but he was also the youngest to claim the title and the first to have been declared winner of the prestigious honour three times in a row.
In 2009, at the age of just 22, he inspired the Spanish giants to a treble-winning campaign and scored a career-defining goal against Manchester United in the Champions League final at Stadio Olimpico; putting the finishing touches to his outstanding season with the Catalan side.
The following year, Messi claimed the title once again and was voted winner ahead of his teammates Xavi and Andres Iniesta, who both won the World Cup during summer. Considering that Spain had won the World Cup for the first time, the fact that Messi still won the Ballon d’Or speaks volumes of his ability.
#2 Guinness World Record for the most official goals in a calendar year:91 goals(2012)
Messi has made a habit of creating landmarks in his career. The Argentinian ace broke German legend Gerd Muller’s record of 85 goals, set in 1972.
He broke Muller’s record by putting the ball in the back of the net twice against Real Betis to take his year tally to 86 goals for the Catalan side.
Messi was honoured with the Guinness World Record title for most goals in a calendar year after scoring 91 goals in 2012 in all competitions for Barcelona and his country Argentina. The Barca superstar was just 25 when he equaled and then broke the record, whereas Muller was two years older when he set the record back in 1972.
#3 Most league goals scored in a season:50 goals in 37 appearances
Messi and Ronaldo have both led the La Liga goalscorers chart since the late 2000s. Historically speaking, Messi and Ronaldo are the only players to ever score at least 40 goals in a La Liga season on more than one occasion.
But 2012 turned out to be a golden year for the Barca star who not only scored the most number of goals scored in a single calendar year but also set a new record of his own in Spain’s top-flight by becoming the first player to score 50 goals in 37 appearances. Messi averaged 1.35 goals per game that season.
Although Ronaldo came very close to breaking Messi’s record in the 2014/15season, the fact remains that Messi is two years younger than the Portuguese and may not hit those heights again.
Considering the way the Argentine international has been playing, it is quite possible that he breaks his own record, as no other player has been performing at a level high enough to challenge Messi for the record anytime soon.
#4 Most assists in La Liga:133 assists
There is no questioning Messi’s capabilities in front of goal. He is a prolific goalscorer and undoubtedly one of the best in the game’s history. But it isn’t just the goals that set him apart, it's also the number of assists he provides for his teammates.
Messi is undoubtedly a goal-machine and can rightfully claim the title of La Liga’s Assist King as well since he currently leads the league’s assists chart. The Barcelona talisman has recorded 133 assists so far, comfortably beating the previous mark of 105 that was set a decade ago by Luis Figo.
This is definitely a mark that people aren’t going to reach soon, and Messi stands unmatched here.
#5 Youngest player to make 100 Champions League appearances
It was on a cold night in Ukraine, when the Argentine international made his European debut against Shakhtar Donetsk at the Olympiyskiy Stadium. 11 years later, a 28-year-old Messi stepped out for his 100th appearance in the Champions League at the Olimpico Stadium against Serie A outfit AS Roma.
He became the youngest player in the competition’s history to make a century of appearances that night, but will probably be the greatest ever player in the competition’s history.
An interesting fact is that the Stadio Olimpico is where Messi says he scored his most memorable goal, the header against Manchester United in the Champions League final.
