Barca star Messi breaks record to become all-time scorer

Lionel Messi scored from the penalty spot as Barcelona opened up a 14-point gap over their rivals Real Madrid with a resounding 3-0 win at the Bernabeu on Saturday.

Messi’s strike was his 526th in all competitions for Barcelona meaning he becomes the highest all-time goalscorer in Europe’s top five leagues for a single club. 

To put the Argentine’s remarkable achievements into context, Sportsmail have compiled a list of some of the incredible statistics from his Barcelona career.

Lionel Messi scored Barcelona’s second as they beat Real Madrid 3-0 at the Bernabeu

Messi surpasses legendary Gerd Muller

Messi officially became the greatest one-club goalscorer of all time on Saturday with his penalty against Real Madrid in El Clasico. 

The spot-kick was Messi’s 526th strike in all competitions for Barcelona meaning he breaks Bayern Munich legend Gerd Muller’s record for the most goals for a single club in Europe’s top five leagues. 

Muller scored 525 times for Bayern in 572 appearances between 1965 and 1979 while Messi’s total has been achieved in 608 appearances for the Catalans.

Lionel Messi scored his 526th Barcelona goal on Saturday

Gerd Muller scored 525 goals for Bayern Munich during his 14-year career in at the German giants

Messi surpassed Bayern Munich legend Gerd Muller’s (right) record with Saturday’s goal

Messi the king of El Clasico 

Always the man for the big ocassion, Messi has scored more El Clasico goals than any other player throughout the history of the famous fixture. 

Saturday’s penalty was the 25th time in 37 appearances that he’s found the net in the biggest club match in world football – Alfredo di Stefano (18) is a distant second. 

The Argentine now has more La Liga goals against Los Blancos than any player in history – with 17 league strikes against Barcelona’s fiercest rivals.  

Barcelona’s win also means they have recorded three successive La Liga away wins at the Bernabeu for the first time in their history. 

Messi fired home from the penalty spot for his 25th El Clasico goal against Real Madrid

Messi fired home from the penalty spot for his 25th El Clasico goal against Real Madrid

Messi has found the net more than any other player in La Liga history against Madrid with 17

Messi has found the net more than any other player in La Liga history against Madrid with 17

Messi top dog over Ronaldo in scoring charts

TOP SCORERS IN 2017 

1. Lionel Messi – 54 goals 

2. Cristiano Ronaldo – 53 goals

3. Robert Lewandowski – 53 goals

4. Edinson Cavani – 52 goals

5. Harry Kane – 50 goals 

Messi recently lost out to Ronaldo in the Ballon d’Or but ended 2017 by getting the upper hand over his fierce rival.

His penalty at the Bernabeu means he has 54 goals in 2017, with 50 of those coming for Barcelona and four for his country Argentina.

It is his sixth calendar year where he has scored 50 goals or more. Messi now leads all of Europe with 54 goals, one more than the 53 strikes that Ronaldo and Robert Lewandowski have managed.

However, one man could still outscore Messi in 2017. Harry Kane (on 50 goals) as the only striker in the mix capable of bettering his tally, with the Tottenham star needing four goals from Tottenham’s upcoming ties with Burnley and Southampton. 

Cristiano Ronaldo may have beaten Messi to the Ballon d'Or but the Argentine has more goals

Cristiano Ronaldo may have beaten Messi to the Ballon d’Or but the Argentine has more goals

Messi’s relentless consistency

MESSI’S 50-GOAL YEARS FOR BARCA

2010 – 58 goals

2011 – 55 goals

2012 – 79 goals

2014 – 50 goals

2016 – 51 goals

2017 – 50 goals  

It’s still December and Messi has already reached 15 goals in La Liga in just his 17th league appearance of the season for Barcelona. 

His strike means Messi has scored 15 or more La Liga goals in each of his last 10 seasons in Barcelona colours since the 2008-09 campaign. 

Messi has reached 50, 46 and 43 La Liga goals throughout that run. His half-century came in the 2011-12 season where he totalled 73 strikes in 60 appearances in all competitions.  



Read more at DailyMail.co.uk