Lionel Messi Birthday: Arguably one of the greatest to have played the game, Lionel Messi celebrates his 35th birthday on Friday. The Barcelona legend, who currently plies his trade for PSG, has enjoyed a stellar career since bursting onto the scene 18 years ago, setting an unmatchable standard of play for the rest to follow. Here, as Lionel Messi turns 35, we look at his 5 big records in the sport. Follow all Football news and updates live on Insidesport.IN
Lionel Messi Birthday: Barcelona legend and PSG star celebrates his 35th birthday, here’s a look at his 5 BIG records
Most Ballon d’Or titles
Lionel Messi has the most number of Ballon d’Or wins, having been awarded the prestigious award seven times in his career. That places him two ahead of rival Cristiano Ronaldo, who has five to his name. Messi in fact won the award for four consecutive years from 2009 to 2012, another record.
Most goals in a calendar year
2012 was a year of great achievement for Lionel Messi. The Argentine, then playing for Barcelona won the sex-tuple, while enjoying a record-breaking year in front of goal. Messi broke the Guinness World record for most goals in a calendar year, slamming a whopping 91 goals officially, with 79 for his club. None of the current players have even crossed the 75-goal tally in a year, which is a clear reminder of Messi’s greatness.
Most official goals for a single club: 672, for Barcelona
Lionel Messi spent 20 years at Barcelona before making a shock transfer to PSG due to the LaLiga club’s financial troubles. During his stay at Camp Nou, Messi scored a staggering 692 goals for the club, with a further 268 assists to his name. The Argentine thus has the record for the most goals and assists made at a single club, and it is unlikely that the record is going to be broken anytime soon.
Only player to score 40+ goals in 12 consecutive seasons
Lionel Messi’s greatness is marked by his unmatched consistency at the top level. In his 18-year playing career, the now PSG star has hit 40+ goals in 12 consecutive seasons. That number increases to 13 when considering 30+ goals in a season, showcasing his remarkable feats as a football superstar.
Most caps for Argentina: 162, Argentina all-time top goalscorer: 86 goals
Only Diego Maradona can match up to Lionel Messi’s legend in Argentina. The 35-year-old is the country’s all-time record appearance maker, and has the most goals for Argentina, scoring 86 goals. In international football, only Cristiano Ronaldo, Ali Daei and Mokhtar Dahari have more goals than him.
Lionel Messi Birthday: Barcelona legend and PSG star celebrates his 35th birthday, here’s a look at his 5 BIG records
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