Advertisement
Advertisement
Lionel Andrés Messi Cuccittini (Spanish pronunciation: [ljoˈnel anˈdɾes ˈmesi] born 24 June 1987), also known as Leo Messi, is an Argentine footballer who currently plays as a forward and is the captain of the Argentina national football team.
Considered one of the best players in the world and one of the greatest players of all time, Messi holds a record of 6 Ballon d’Or wins, 6 European Golden Shoe winners and in 2020 was placed in the Ballon d’Or Dream Team. He has dedicated his entire career to Barcelona, where he won a record 34 club titles, including 10 La Liga titles, 7 Copa del Rey and 4 UEFA Champions Leagues. Messi holds the records as the player with the most goals in La Liga (474), the player with the most goals in a single La Liga and European season (50), the most hat-tricks in La Liga (36). and UEFA Champions League (8), most assists in La Liga (192), most assists in a single La Liga, European (21) and Copa América (17).
1. Overview
Messi started playing football at an early age and his talent was discovered by the Barcelona club. He left his hometown team Newell’s Old Boys in 2000 and moved with his family to Spain after Barcelona offered to help with the costs of treating growth hormone deficiency. Making his debut in the 2004-2005 season, he broke the record for the youngest player to appear in La Liga and became the youngest player to score in the competition at that time. The titles that came to Barca in Messi’s first season were the La Liga championship, and they won the double when they won both La Liga and the Champions League in the 2006-07 season. 2006-07 was the breakthrough season for Barca. England: became a key player in the first team, scoring a hat-trick in El Clásico and ending the season with 14 goals in 26 games. The 2008-09 season was Messi’s most successful season when he scored 38 goals and became a key factor in the Catalan team’s treble. This record was later broken in the 2009–10 season, when Messi scored 47 goals in all competitions, equaling Ronaldo’s record at Barcelona. He went on to surpass this record again in the 2010–11 season with 53 goals in all competitions. In the 2011-12 season, he set the record for becoming the player to score the most goals in a single La Liga season with 50 goals, and also set the record for the most goals scored in a single season in the world. all competitions, with 73 goals. equals Ronaldo’s record at Barcelona. He went on to surpass this record again in the 2010–11 season with 53 goals in all competitions. In the 2011-12 season, he set the record for becoming the player to score the most goals in a single La Liga season with 50 goals, and also set the record for the most goals scored in a single season in the world. all competitions, with 73 goals. equals Ronaldo’s record at Barcelona. He went on to surpass this record again in the 2010–11 season with 53 goals in all competitions. In the 2011-12 season, he set the record for becoming the player to score the most goals in a single La Liga season with 50 goals, and also set the record for the most goals scored in a single season in the world. all competitions, with 73 goals.
Since starting to play for Barcelona in 2005 until now, he has always been a key factor in every victory of the Catalan giants. Along with Barcelona, Messi has won many different big and small titles, including 10 La Liga titles, 4 Champions League titles, and 6 Copa del Rey titles. He scored twice in the 2009 Final and the 2011 Final against rivals Manchester United. He currently holds the record for the most goals scored in a season for Barcelona with 73 goals. He is also the first person to win the UEFA Champions League Top Scorer award three times in a row since the tournament was renamed.
Messi is the first player in football history to receive the Ballon d’Or five times (both before and after the merger of the two FIFA Player of the Year awards and the European Golden Ball into the FIFA Ballon d’Or). 2011), ahead of legends like Johan Cruyff, Michel Platini and Marco van Basten who have all received the Ballon d’Or three times and are the second player to receive the Ballon d’Or three times in a row, after Michel Platini. In 2012, Messi became the first player to score five goals in a UEFA Champions League match, in a 7–1 win over Bayer Leverkusen. Later that year, he broke the record for the most goals scored in a calendar year with 91 goals. Two years later, Messi both finished second in the race to win the Ballon d’Or, behind Cristiano Ronaldo.
By the 2014-15 season, Messi was the driving force that led Barcelona to win the treble for the second time in the club’s history. He went on to win three more La Liga titles with the team in 2016, 2018 and 2019. Messi currently holds the record for the most goalscorer and most assists in La Liga, and is also the Top scorer in the history of FC Barcelona. Messi also becomes the second player after Xavi to make 700 appearances for Barcelona. Messi has scored 614 goals for his club Barcelona, only needing 30 more to break the record of Pelé, the player with the most goals for a club (643 goals).
Messi was the top scorer of the 2005 FIFA U-20 World Cup with 6 goals, including 2 in the final. Not long after that, he was called up to the Argentina national football team. In 2006, he became the youngest Argentine player to compete at the World Cup and finished second in the 2007 Copa América. In 2008, in Beijing, he won his first international title. with the Argentina Olympic team to win the Olympic gold medal. Currently, he is the player with the most goals for the Argentina national football team. As captain of the national team since August 2011, he helped Argentina reach the finals of three major tournaments in a row: the 2014 World Cup, in which he won the Ballon d’Or, along with two other tournaments. Copa America in 2015 and 2016.
After announcing his retirement from the national team in 2016, he withdrew his decision and led Argentina to qualify for the 2018 World Cup. With 70 goals for the Argentina national football team, Messi is the player. South America is second after Pelé with the most goals in Copa America (77 goals). On July 31, Messi set a record to become the player who won the most FIFA Player of the Year awards (The Best FIFA Men’s Player) (6 times). On December 2, 2019, at the 64th Golden Ball Awards ceremony in Paris, France. Messi won a record 6th Ballon d’Or, becoming the first player to win 6 Ballon d’Or, surpassing rival Cristiano Ronaldo (5 times).
2. Childhood
Messi was born on June 24, 1987 in Rosario, Argentina to his father Jorge Horacio Messi (born 1958), a factory worker, and his mother Celia Maria Cuccittini, a laborer. His paternal side’s family originated in the Italian city of Ancona and moved to Argentina in 1883. He has a younger sister named Maria Sol and two older brothers named Rodrigo and Matias. At the age of 5, Messi started playing for Grandoli, a local team led by his father.
In 1995, Messi transferred to Newell’s Old Boys, a team located in his hometown Rosario. At the age of 11, he was diagnosed with a problem with growth hormone. The River Plate Club showed an interest in Messi, but could not afford to pay for his medical treatment, which costs about $900 a month. Carles Rexach, FC Barcelona’s sporting director, was interested in his talent because Messi had an acquaintance in Lleida, Catalonia, and Messi and his father had arranged a trial. Barcelona signed a contract with him after watching him play, agreeing to pay for medical treatment and guarantee Messi’s family jobs if he moved to Spain, especially the initial contract. The kit between him and the club was drafted on tissue paper with signatures from both sides. December 14, 2000,
3.1. Barcelona
Lionel Messi made his unofficial debut for the Barca first team in a friendly match against FC Porto on 16 November 2003 (at the age of 16 years and 145 days). Almost a year later, Frank Rijkaard let him make his first La Liga debut against Espanyol on 16 October 2004 (at the age of 17 years and 114 days), becoming the third youngest player to ever play for Barca and became the team’s youngest player to play in La Liga (this achievement was later broken by Bojan Krkić in September 2007). When he scored his first official goal for the team against Albacete on 1 May 2005, Messi was 17 years, 10 months and 7 days old, becoming the youngest player ever to score for Barcelona in La Liga until 2015. 2007 when this was broken by Bojan Krkic with a goal from Messi’s assist.[35] Speaking of former coach Rijkaard, Messi said: I will never forget that he was the man who started my career. That he put his trust in me when I was 16 or 17 years old.
3.1.2. 2005–06 season
 |
| Messi, aged 18, played with Málaga in 2005 |
On September 16, 2005, for the second time in three months, Barcelona released a new update on Messi’s signing; This time it has improved and he is considered a member of the first team and the contract will run until June 2014. Messi was recognized as a Spanish citizen on September 26, 2005 and was later allowed to play his first La Liga match. His first match in the Champions League was against Udinese on September 27 at the Nou Camp. In this match, Messi, with his ability to control the ball and coordinate with Ronaldinho, made a big impression as Barcelona won 4-1 against the Italian club.
Messi scored 6 goals in 17 league appearances, and scored 1 goal in the Champions League in 6 appearances. However, his season ended on 7 March 2006 after he met a injury in the second leg of the Champions League knockout round against Chelsea. Frank Rijkaard with Barcelona ended the season with the Spanish and European championships.
3.1.3. 2006–07 season
In the 2006-07 season, Messi earned a regular spot in the squad, scoring 14 goals in 26 games. On November 12, in the match against Real Zaragoza, Messi suffered a serious injury that forced him to be sidelined for 3 months. Messi recovered from his injury in Argentina, and returned against Racing Santander on 11 February, a match in which he came on as a substitute. On March 11, the El Clasico match saw Messi in top form when he scored a hat-trick to help Barca with only 10 men on the field to draw Real Madrid 3 – 3, with the final goal coming on addition time. As a result, he became the first player since Iván Zamorano (who scored for Real Madrid in the 1994-95 season) to score a hat-trick in an El Clasico match. Messi is also the youngest player ever to score in a match like this (19 years, 8 months and 14 days). As a result, by the end of the season he scored more regularly; 11 of his 14 La Liga goals have come from the last 13 matches.
 |
| Messi against Rangers in 2007 |
Messi also proved that it is not wrong for people to call him the “new Maradona” by scoring the famous goals that Diego Maradona once scored. On April 18, 2007, he scored two goals in the Copa del Rey semi-final against Getafe CF, one of which is very similar to what is considered the most beautiful goal of the century. The sports world compared him to Maradona, and the Spanish press gave him the name “Messidona”. He ran the same distance, 62m, beat the same number of players (6 players including the goalkeeper), scored from a very similar position, and ran to the corner just like Maradona did for 21 years. before. In a post-match interview, his teammate Deco said: “It was the best goal I’ve ever seen in my life.” In the match against RCD Espanyol, Messi also scored a goal similar to the one Maradona scored against England in the quarter-finals of the 1986 World Cup. Messi rushed forward and used his hand to put the ball into the net of goalkeeper Carlos Kameni. Although the Espanyol players reacted furiously and the videotape also showed it was a handball, the goal was still recognized.
3.1.3. 207–08 season
In the 2007-08 season, Messi scored 5 goals in a week to bring Barca into the top 4 in La Liga. On September 19, 2007, he scored a goal as Barcelona beat Olympique Lyonnais 3-0 at home in a Champions League match. He scored twice against Sevilla on September 22 and then on September 26, Messi scored two more goals in a 4-1 win over Real Zaragoza. On February 27, 2008, Messi played his 100th official match for Barca against Valencia CF.
He was named in the professional players’ team of the year for the striker position. An online vote was set up by the Spanish newspaper Marca and he was chosen as the best player in the world with 77 percent of the vote. Commentators for El Mundo Deportivo and Sport newspapers said the European Ballon d’Or should go to Messi, something supported by Franz Beckenbauer. Professional players like Francesco Totti say they consider Messi as one of the best players in the world right now.
Messi is sidelined for six weeks following an injury he sustained on March 4 against Celtic in the Champions League. It was the fourth time in three seasons that Messi suffered the same type of injury.
3.1.4. 2008–09 season
After Ronaldinho left the team, Messi inherited the number 10 shirt. On October 1, 2008, in the Champions League match against Shakhtar Donestk, Messi, after coming on for Thierry Henry, scored 2 goals in the last 7 minutes. , helping Barcelona come back to win 2-1. The next match was against Athletico Madrid, a confrontation between two close friends Messi and Sergio Agüero. Messi scored from a free-kick and set up another for Barca to win 6-1. Messi scored another impressive goal against Sevilla FC from a volley from 23 yards and then dribbled past the keeper and scored another goal. On 13 December 2008, in the first El Clasico of the season, Messi scored the second as Barcelona beat Real Madrid 2–0. He was also voted Player of the Year for the second time with 678 points.
Messi scored his first hat-trick of 2009 in the Copa del Rey against Athletico Madrid as Barcelona won 3-1. Messi scored another crucial double on 1 February 2009, coming on as a substitute and helping Barcelona come back to beat Racing Santander 2-1. The second of those two goals was Barca’s 5000th in La Liga. In round 28 of La Liga, Messi scored his 30th goal in all competitions that season, helping the team beat Málaga CF 6-0. On 8 April 2009, he scored twice against Bayern Munich in the Champions League, setting a personal record of eight goals in the competition. On 18 April, Messi marked his 20th goal of the season in a 1–0 win over Getafe CF, giving Barcelona a six-point lead over Real Madrid.
 |
| Messi faces Michael Carrick in the Champions League final |
As Barcelona neared the end of the season, Messi scored twice (his 35th and 36th goals of all seasons) to seal a 6-2 win over Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabéu in Real’s heaviest defeat since 1930. . your support for children with this disease. Messi was also the player who allowed Andrés Iniesta to score in stoppage time in the Champions League semi-final to send Barcelona into the final against Manchester United. He won the Copa del Rey for the first time on 13 May after scoring one goal and assisting two more in a 4-1 win over Athletic Bilbao. He helped the team win the double cup by winning La Liga. On 27 May he helped Barca win the Champions League with a header that doubled the Catalans’ lead; He also became the top scorer of the C1 Cup. He is the youngest player in history to win this title with 9 goals. Messi was also voted the best striker of the year: The best player in Europe after an unbelievable year. This victory means Barcelona have won the Copa del Rey, Champions League and La Liga in one season, and it is the first Spanish team to win the treble.
3.1.5. 2009–10 season
After winning the 2009 UEFA Super Cup, Barcelona coach Josep Guardiola said Messi was the best player he had ever seen.
On September 18, Messi signed a new contract with Barcelona, until 2016 with a release clause of 250 million euros including a salary of 9.5 million euros per year making him and teammate Zlatan Ibrahimovic the the highest paid people in La Liga. Four days later, on September 22, Messi scored two goals and assisted one in Barca’s 4-1 win over Racing Santander. Messi scored his first European goal on September 29 in a 2–0 win over Dynamo Kyiv. Messi took his tally to six in seven La Liga games with one in a 6-1 win over Real Zaragoza and also scored a penalty in a 4-2 win over RCD Mallorca on November 7. On December 1, 2009, Messi won the Ballon d’Or, beating Cristiano Ronaldo by a record 473 to 233. Then,
 |
| Messi during the Joan Gamper Cup match between Barcelona and Manchester City at Camp Nou |
On 19 December 2009, Messi scored the winning goal in the 2009 FIFA Club World Cup final against Estudiantes in Abu Dhabi. Two days later, he was named FIFA Player of the Year; beat Cristiano Ronaldo, Xavi, Kaká and Andrés Iniesta to win the award. This is the first time he has won this title, and also the first Argentinian to win this award. On 10 January 2010, Messi scored his first hat-trick of 2010 and also his first of the season in a 5–0 win over CD Tenerife. On 17 January, Messi scored his 100th goal for the team in a 4–0 win over Sevilla FC.
He then began an impressive run of goalscoring 11 goals in five games. Starting with a goal in the 84th minute in a 2-1 win over Málaga CF, he then scored twice in a 2-2 draw with UD Almería. He continued his impressive form with a stellar week as he scored eight goals; starting with a hat-trick in a 3-0 home win over Valencia CF, then scoring twice in a 4-0 win over VfB Stuttgart that sent Barcelona into the Champions League quarter-finals and finally scoring another hat-trick in a 4 win. -2 against Zaragoza, becoming the first Barcelona player to score two consecutive hat-tricks in La Liga. He played his 200th official match for Barcelona against CA Osasuna on 24 March 2010. On 6 April 2010, in the first time Messi scored 4 goals in a match, He scored four goals in a 4-1 win over Arsenal in the second leg of the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals. This also put him past Rivaldo to become Barca’s top scorer in this tournament. After that, Barcelona had to stop in the semi-finals of the most prestigious arena in Europe after losing to Inter Milan with a total score of 2-3 after 2 matches. On 10 April 2010, Messi scored his 40th goal of the season when he scored his first in a 2–0 El Clasico win over Real Madrid. He completed a quite successful season with a brace against Valladolid in the final round, bringing the team to the La Liga championship with a record score of 99 points/38 matches. Barcelona had to stop in the semi-finals of Europe’s most prestigious arena after losing to Inter Milan with a total score of 2-3 after 2 matches. On 10 April 2010, Messi scored his 40th goal of the season when he scored his first in a 2–0 El Clasico win over Real Madrid. He completed a quite successful season with a brace against Valladolid in the final round, bringing the team to the La Liga championship with a record score of 99 points/38 matches. Barcelona had to stop in the semi-finals of Europe’s most prestigious arena after losing to Inter Milan with a total score of 2-3 after 2 matches. On 10 April 2010, Messi scored his 40th goal of the season when he scored his first in a 2–0 El Clasico win over Real Madrid. He completed a quite successful season with a brace against Valladolid in the final round, bringing the team to the La Liga championship with a record score of 99 points/38 matches.
3.1.6. 2010–11 season
On 21 August 2010, Messi started the season with a hat-trick in a 4–0 win over Sevilla in the second leg of the Spanish Super Cup (first leg lost 1-3), thereby helping Barcelona to the title. first of the season. His opening goal in this season’s La Liga came in the first round against Racing Santander on August 29, 2010. Messi also had a perfect warm-up in the UEFA Champions League with a brace. against Panathinaikos with two assists (he missed a penalty in Barcelona’s 5-1 win).
On 20 November, in the match that Barcelona beat rivals UD Almería 8-0, Messi scored his second hat-trick of the season. The second goal of this hat-trick was his 100th in La Liga. He also set his own record when he lifted the streak of consecutive goals for Barcelona to 9 (Messi also scored in a friendly against Brazil in an Argentina shirt shortly after). That achievement was halted when he failed to score in the super classic match against Real Madrid on November 29, although Messi was still a good player and had a key part in Barcelona’s 5-0 victory. , especially 2 assists for David Villa to score (double). In the next rounds, Messi still played in brilliant form with double goals against CA Osasuna and Real Sociedad.
 |
| Messi in the round of 16 of the UEFA Champions League |
Messi is on the shortlist of three shortlisted candidates for the 2010 FIFA Ballon d’Or (along with Iniesta and Xavi). On January 10, 2011, during the 2010 FIFA Ballon d’Or gala, the first award combined by the FIFA Player of the Year and the European Ballon d’Or, Messi surprised by surpassing both the two remaining contenders for the 2010 FIFA Ballon d’Or award, although he had an unsuccessful performance at the 2010 World Cup.
Just two days after being awarded the award, he scored his first hat-trick of 2011 and his third of the season against Real Betis. He started the second leg of the season with a penalty kick against Racing Santander. After scoring, Messi ran towards the photojournalists at the end of the field, pulled the shirt over his chest to reveal the words “Happy birthday mom” printed on the shirt inside. He continued his scoring form with a brace against Almería in the 2010-11 Copa del Rey semi-final, and another brace less than a week later against Hércules CF. On 5 February, Barcelona broke the league’s record for most consecutive wins with 16 wins after they beat Atlético Madrid 3–0 at the Nou Camp.
After two games without scoring, he scored in a 2-1 win over Barcelona’s Athletic Bilbao. The following week, for the first time of the season, he scored from a header in a 3–0 away win against Mallorca. This victory equaled the 19-match unbeaten La Liga away record set by Real Sociedad in the 1979–80 season. Three days later, this record was broken when Messi scored the only goal in the win over Valencia. On 8 March, Messi scored twice against Arsenal in the UEFA Champions League round of 16, helping Barcelona win 3–1 and reach the quarter-finals of the tournament. After not scoring for a month, he scored a brace against Almería, the second of which also helped him equal the club record of 47 goals he set last season. He broke his record on 12 April 2011 by scoring the only goal in the second leg of the UEFA Champions League quarter-final against Shakhtar Donetsk, also placing him in the record books as the top scorer in the Champions League. 1 season for Barcelona. With the goal to seal the score 1–1 at the Santiago Bernabéu, he had 8 goals in the super classic match.
 |
| Messi in the Champions League semi-final against Real Madrid |
In the semi-final first leg of the Champions League, he had a memorable performance when he scored 2 goals against Real Madrid, the second goal was a solo dribble through the block of 5 players before skillfully finishing. the point of defeating goalkeeper Casillas. In the final at Wembley, Messi scored a goal to make it 2-1 against Manchester United, thereby giving Barcelona its third Champions League title in six years and the fourth in history. club history. This is also Messi’s 12th goal in the Champions League this season, helping him equal Ruud Van Nistelrooy’s record of 12 goals in a single European cup season, since the tournament was renamed the UEFA Champions League in 1992. If counted throughout the history of the European Cup, José Altafini is the highest scorer in a season with 14 goals, However, Messi equaled this record the following season. At the end of the 2010-11 season, he had a total of 53 goals and 24 assists in all competitions.
3.1.7. 2011–12 seaso
In the 2011 Spanish Super Cup, Messi scored a total of 3 goals and provided 2 assists, thereby helping Barca overcome Real Madrid with a total score of 5–4. With 3 goals against Real in 2 matches, Messi increased the number of times he conceded this team to 13 and surpassed Raúl González (6 goals) to become the top scorer in the Super Cup (8). table). He and Barca reap another trophy when he scored from midfielder Fredy Guarín’s careless cross and assisted Cesc Fàbregas to make it 2–0 in the European Super Cup match against Porto.
After two consecutive games without a taste of victory, Barcelona had a devastating 8–0 win over CA Osasuna, in which Messi scored a hat-trick and had a special celebration by clapping his hands in quick succession. thighs instead of pointing to the sky every time to score as usual. This is his celebration for Soufian, a 10-year-old Moroccan boy with Laurin Sandrow syndrome, a very rare disease that causes deformities in the limbs.
On September 28, Messi scored his first two goals in the 2011–12 Champions League against BATE Borisov and became the second-highest scorer in the club’s history, equaling László Kubala’s record of 194 goals in all competitions. official match. He continued to surpass this record when he scored twice against Racing Santander and was second only to César Rodríguez with 232 goals. He is also the second-highest scorer in La Liga for Barcelona with 132 goals, one more than Kubala. He scored his 200th goal for Barcelona and scored two more in a hat-trick in the next match against Viktoria Plzeň in the Champions League.
Messi scored a brace against Santos FC in the 2011 FIFA Club World Cup final and was voted man of the match as well as being awarded the Golden Ball for his performance at the tournament. prize.
 |
| Messi and his teammates in the 2011 FIFA Club World Cup final |
Messi was the first player to receive UEFA’s European Player of the Year award, beating teammate Xavi Hernández and Real Madrid’s Cristiano Ronaldo. He also continued to surpass these two players to receive the 2011 FIFA Golden Ball award. With winning the FIFA Ballon d’Or again, Messi became the 4th player to win 3 Golden Balls, after Johan Cruyff, Michel Platini and Marco Van Basten and is the second player after Michel Platini to receive this award three times in a row. He also received the IFFHS’s international top scorer award, with 19 goals in 2011.
On 19 February 2012, Messi, in his 200th La Liga match, scored four goals in a 5–1 win over Valencia CF. On 7 March, Messi set the record for becoming the first player to score five goals in a Champions League game since the tournament was renamed in 1992, helping the defending champions beat Bayer Leverkusen 7 -first.
On 20 March, with a hat-trick in a 5-3 win over Granada CF, he surpassed legendary César Rodríguez’s record of 232 goals to become the top scorer in official FC Barcelona competitions.
On 3 April, Messi scored his 14th Champions League goal when he successfully scored two penalties against Milan in the quarter-final second leg. This number of goals allows him to surpass his own record as well as Ruud van Nistelrooy’s record of 12 goals in a single UEFA Champions League season and match José Altafini’s record of 14 goals in a single European Cup season ( season 1962–63), before the tournament was renamed the UEFA Champions League in 1992. However, Messi was unable to score in the semi-finals despite having a pass in the second leg, in addition he also missed an important penalty when the ball hit the crossbar.
On 11 April, Messi scored his 61st goal against Getafe CF, and provided two assists. On 2 May, he scored a hat-trick against Málaga CF to surpass Gerd Müller’s record (67 goals in 1972–73) with 68 goals, thereby becoming Europe’s top scorer in a single season. Season. He then scored four times against RCD Espanyol on 5 May to take his tally in all competitions this season to 72, becoming only the second man to reach the 70-goal mark in a single season after Archie. Stark of Bethlehem Steel in the American Soccer League season 1924-1925.
 Advertisement
|
| Messi against Real Madrid in Copa del Rey 2011–12 |
On 25 May, he scored again in the 2012 Copa del Rey final, helping Barcelona win their 26th Spanish Cup, and taking his goalscoring season to a record 73 across all competitions. fight. It was Guardiola’s last match as Barcelona manager, and also Messi’s second Copa del Rey, after their defeat in the final a year earlier, and their 14th title. of Barcelona under Guardiola. Despite failing to win the Liga for the fourth time in a row and coming in second only to great rivals Real Madrid, Messi still finished the 2011–12 season with a record 50 Liga goals and a second La Liga top scorer. Liga. He is also the second best passer in La Liga this season with 16 assists, behind Mesut Özil (17 times). In addition, he also won the UEFA Champions League top scorer title for the fourth time in a row with 14 goals.[158] and is one of the league’s top assists with 5 assists. He finished the season with more goals and assists than any other player, 73 goals and 29 assists in all club competitions.
3.1.8. 2012–13 season
In the first match of the season against Real Sociedad, Messi opened fire with 2 goals in a 5-1 victory at the Nou Camp. Messi continued to score on the penalty spot in the 3-2 win over Real Madrid in the first leg of the Spanish Super Cup on August 23. He scored a brace to help Barca come back from home against Osasuna with the score. 2-1 and scored another goal from a free kick in the second leg of the Spanish Super Cup. However, Barcelona, with only 10 men on the field, were defeated by Real Madrid on the away goals rule. This is also Messi’s 15th goal in the super classic matches between Real Madrid-Barcelona, making him Barcelona’s top scorer in El Clásico matches, equal to Raúl’s record and second only to Alfredo Di Stefano (18 goals). Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo both finished second in UEFA’s 2012 UEFA Best Player in Europe poll with just 17 votes, behind his Barcelona team-mate Andrés Iniesta. Messi scored twice in the win over Getafe on 15 September and scored twice in the opening match of the 2012-13 Champions League against Spartak Moscow on 20 September, which ended 3-2 in favor of Barcelona.
On 11 November, with two goals conceding Real Mallorca and also his 75th and 76th goals in 2012, Messi surpassed Pelé’s milestone of 75 goals in a year, and just below the all-time record. era of Gerd Müller 9 more goals. His 77th and 78th goals came in the match against Real Zaragoza at the Nou Camp, thereby closing the gap to 7 goals. On 20 November, Messi again scored his 79th and 80th goals of 2012 against Spartak Moscow and was exactly five goals ahead of Gerd Müller’s 85 goals. On November 25, in the 13th round of La Liga, he continued to shorten this number to 3 goals with another double to beat Levante 4-0 and increase the gap with Real to 11 points. On 1 December, Messi’s 83rd and 84th goals against Athletic Bilbao meant he was only one goal behind Müller.
On 5 December, he was injured after a collision with goalkeeper Artur Moraes and had to leave the field in the 84th minute of the 0 – 0 draw between Barcelona and Benfica. On 9 December, after recovering from injury, he scored two more goals against Real Betis, his 85th and 86th goals in 2012, to officially break the 40-year record held by Gerd Muller and He also surpassed Rodriguez to become Barcelona’s number one scorer in La Liga. Messi once again shone in La Liga when he scored a brace against Cordobad to reach 88 goals a year. But his record was not recognized by FIFA. And FIFA itself has never recognized Gerd Müller’s record of 85 goals per year. However, after that, it seems to have noticed the fierce criticism from the public, FIFA has “skillful”
Consecutive joy came to Messi when entering the new year 2013, he set another record when he won the FIFA Golden Ball for the fourth time in a row with 41.60% of the votes, much higher than Cristiano Ronaldo, who with only 23.68% of the vote and Andrés Iniesta with 10.91%. On 16 February 2013, Messi scored twice to surpass the 300-goal mark for Barcelona in a La Liga match against Granada CF. On 2 March 2013, Messi scored in a 2–1 loss to Real Madrid. With that goal, Lionel Messi equaled the number of 18 goals scored in Alfredo Di Stefano’s super classic matches. On 9 March 2013, Messi came on as a substitute against Deportivo de La Coruña and broke the world record by scoring 17 consecutive matches in a single competition (La Liga).
On 12 March, Messi scored twice and assisted for the fourth goal of the match, thereby helping Barcelona defeat AC Milan (4–0) in the second leg of the round of 16 of the Champions League. Messi’s opening goal against Milan has received much attention and has been compared to Diego Maradona’s famous goal against Greece in the 1994 World Cup. On 17 March 2013, against Rayo Vallecano , Messi took the captain’s armband for the first time in an official club game after Andrés Iniesta was substituted. On 30 March, he extended his shooting streak to 19 consecutive La Liga matches and thereby became the first player in La Liga history to score against the remaining 19 teams in consecutive matches.
On 2 April 2013, after opening the scoring against Paris Saint-Germain, Messi injured his left hamstring and was substituted early in the second half. On 13 May 2013, Messi was forced to leave. field and could not play the entire match against Atletico Madrid due to a recurrence of a left leg injury. The club then announced that he would be out for the rest of the season due to injury. In the second leg of the Champions League quarter-final against Paris Saint-Germain, Barcelona were leading and Messi, after coming on in the 62nd minute, coordinated with David Villa to assist Pedro to seal the score at 1- 1. 1 (3-3), thereby helping Barca reach the semi-finals thanks to the away goals rule. However, Barcelona were still knocked out in the semi-finals by then league winners Bayern Munich. Besides, The club also had to stop in the Copa del Rey semi-finals by rival Real Madrid. However, Barcelona still managed to win the La Liga championship from Real Madrid, and achieved the milestone of 100 points per season that they had last season. Messi once again became La Liga’s top scorer for the second year in a row with 46 goals and 12 assists. By the end of the season, he had scored a total of 60 goals and 16 assists in all competitions.
Advertisement
3.1.9. 2013–14 season
Messi was nominated for the UEFA Player of the Year award alongside Cristiano Ronaldo and Franck Ribéry for the third year in a row. Ribéry was the recipient of the award with 36 votes. Messi came in 2nd place with 14 votes, while Ronaldo finished in 3rd place with 3 votes. On 18 August 2013, Messi opened La Liga 2013–14 with a 7-0 crushing win over Levante UD, in which he had 2 goals and 1 assist. On August 28, Barcelona won its 11th Super Cup title after winning against Atlético Madrid by away goals rule.
On 1 September, Messi scored his 23rd career hat-trick in a 3–2 win over Valencia CF. With these goals, he became the player with the most away goals in the history of the tournament with 100 times conceding the opponent. In addition, he is also the sixth goalscorer in La Liga history when surpassing Quini’s 219 goals. On 18 September 2013, Messi scored his 24th hat-trick in a 4–0 home win over Ajax in the Champions League. This number of goals makes him the second-highest scorer in the Champions League, with 62, second only to Raúl, and fourth in all European competitions with 63. With this hat-trick, Messi is also the first person to score four hat-tricks in the Champions League. November 10,
On 8 January 2014, Messi returned to the pitch and scored twice against Getafe in the Copa del Rey. On 13 January, he finished 2nd behind Cristiano Ronaldo in the FIFA Ballon d’Or 2013 voting. On 15 February, Messi scored twice against Rayo Vallecano to overtake compatriot Alfredo di Stéfano and finish third with Raúl. in the list of the greatest strikers in La Liga history with 228 goals.
On 16 March 2014, Messi scored a hat-trick in a 7–0 win over Osasuna and surpassed Paulino Alcántara to become Barça’s top scorer in all competitions including friendlies. On 23 March, he again scored a hat-trick in a 4–3 win over Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabéu to become the top scorer in super classics.
Messi finished the season with the worst score after five successful seasons with Barca, although he still scored 41 goals in all matches. For the first time in five years, Barcelona ended the season empty-handed; they were defeated 1-2 in the Copa del Rey final against Real Madrid and eliminated by Atlético Madrid in the quarter-finals of the Champions League. Even in La Liga, Barca has been usurped by Atletico. This made Messi booed by the fans at Camp Nou. In the second half of the 2013-14 season, doubts continued to exist about Messi’s motivation to play, many believed that he was keeping his strength for the 2014 World Cup finals. According to statistics, his contribution from The number of goals, shots and assists has decreased significantly compared to last season.
Messi signed a new contract on May 19, 2014, just one year after his latest contract update; his salary increased to 20 million euros, or 36 million euros without taxes, the highest salary of a football player.
3.1.10. 2014-15 season
Unde new coach Luis Enrique, Messi has enjoyed a good start to the 2014-2015 season, breaking three records at the end of the year. A hat-trick scored against Sevilla on 22 November made him the all-time leading goalscorer in La Liga as he surpassed the 59-year-old record of 251 goals set by Telmo Zarra. Three days later, he scored another hat-trick against APOEL, surpassing Raúl Gonzalez’s record of 71 goals to become the top scorer in Champions League history. A third hat-trick, scored against city rivals Espanyol on 7 December, helped him surpass César Rodríguez as the top scorer in Derbi barceloní matches with 12 goals. Messi is second in the race to win the 2014 FIFA Ballon d’Or after Cristiano Ronaldo,
 |
| Messi celebrates after his second goal against Granada in September 2014 |
At the beginning of 2015, Barcelona suddenly fell, and the media suggested that Messi was considering leaving the club after having a disagreement with coach Enrique. The incident became even more serious when in the match against Real Sociedad, Enrique locked both Messi and Neymar on the bench. At that time, the board of the team even considered sacking Enrique to keep Messi. The risk of this coach losing his job becomes even more obvious when it seems that President Bartomeu seems to have found a new leader to replace Enrique, and will replace the coaching chair immediately if Barca continue to receive a bad result in the upcoming match. to Atlético.
However, a turning point occurred on 11 January in a match against Atlético Madrid, when Barça launched three attacking forwards for the first time in Messi, Luis Suárez and Neymar, dubbed “MSN”, each scoring goals in that match helped Barca win 3-1, thereby helping Luis Enrique retain his seat and mark a successful start. After five years of playing in the leading position, Messi returned to his old position on the right wing late last year, at the suggestion of his teammate Suárez. From there, he regained his form – arguably his best form, while Suárez and Neymar ended their reliance on the team’s attack on the Argentinian star. With Messi’s 58 goals, the attacking trio netted a total of 122 goals in all competitions that season, a record for Spanish football.
By the 37th round of La Liga, Messi scored the only goal in a 1–0 win over Atlético Madrid on May 17 to help Barca win the La Liga title. Among his 43 goals in the domestic league was a hat-trick scored in 11 minutes against Rayo Vallecano on 8 March, which was his fastest hat-trick; it was Messi’s 32nd hat-trick for Barcelona, helping him surpass Telmo Zarra as the player with the most hat-tricks in Spanish football history.
In addition, he is the player with the most assists in La Liga as the top goalscorer of the season with 18 assists, surpassing Luís Figo as the player with the most assists in La Liga. Liga, he scored a record 106th in a match against Levante on 15 February scoring a hat-trick. Messi then scored twice as Barcelona beat Athletic Bilbao 3-1 in the Copa del Rey final on May 30, achieving the sixth double in the team’s history. Leo’s opening goal was hailed as one of the greatest of his career; He collected the ball near the halfway line and beat four opposing players, before getting past the keeper to score a very tight angle. The goal was later voted as one of the final three contenders for the 2015 FIFA Puskás award.
Messi opened the 2015-16 season by scoring twice from a free-kick in Barcelona’s 5-4 win (in extra time) over Sevilla in the European Super Cup. However, a 1-5 aggregate defeat to Athletic Bilbao in the Spanish Super Cup ended the team’s hopes of a six, although Messi scored the only goal. On 16 September, he became the youngest player to play 100 UEFA Champions League matches in a 1–1 draw with Roma.
On September 26, Messi was injured in a match against Barcelona’s Las Palmas; Subsequent examinations confirmed that he had torn the medial lateral ligament of his left knee, and was to be away from the field for six to eight weeks. He was finally back on the pitch on 21 November, coming on as a substitute in Barcelona’s resounding 4–0 win over Real Madrid in El Clásico. Messi and his teammates won the 2015 FIFA Club World Cup final on December 20, collecting his fifth trophy in 2015 as Barcelona beat River Plate 3-0 in Yokohama. Messi also won the silver ball of the tournament, despite missing the semi-final. On 30 December, Messi scored his 500th goal for Barcelona, in a 4–0 win over Real Betis.
On 6 January 2016, Messi scored two goals and helped Barca beat Espan yol 4-1 at Camp Nou, in the first match of the round of 16 of the 2015-16 Copa del Rey. Five days later, Messi won the 5th Ballon d’Or of his career. On 3 February, he scored a hat-trick in Barcelona’s 7–0 win over Valencia in the first leg of the Copa del Rey semi-final at Camp Nou. With teammate Luis Suárez scoring another four goals in the same match, it was the first time two players had scored at least three at Camp Nou. The next match at Camp Nou, 6-1 victory over Celta de Vigo, Messi took the responsibility of taking the penalty but then passed it to Suárez to score. Some saw it as “a bias”, while others criticized it as disrespecting the opponent. The Celta players, however,
On 17 February, Messi scored his 300th goal in a 3–1 win over Sporting de Gijón. Days later, he scored both goals in Barcelona’s 2–0 win over Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium, marking the club’s 10,000th goal in its history. However, Barca soon became the former king of Europe when losing to Atletico in the quarterfinals. On 17 April, Messi scored his 500th career goal in a 1–2 loss to Valencia. Messi ended the 2015-16 season by setting up both goals in Barcelona’s 2-0 win over Seville in the 2016 Copa del Rey final at the Vicente Calderón Stadium. Barca also successfully defended the La Liga title this season when 1 point more than Real. In total, Messi has scored 41 goals and provided 23 assists,
3.1.11. 2016-17 seasonMessi opened the 2016-17 season by lifting the Spanish Super Cup in 2016, he was made captain of Barcelona without Andrés Iniesta due to injury; He set up Munir’s goal in a 2–0 win over Sevilla in the second leg on 14 August, and then scored and assisted in a 3–0 second leg win on 17 August. The next day, he scored two goals and helped Barcelona to a 6-2 win over Real Betis in the opening match of the 2016-17 La Liga season. On 13 September 2016, Messi scored his first hat-trick of the season in the opening match of the Champions League campaign against Celtic in a 7–0 win; this is also Messi’s sixth hat-trick in the Champions League, more than any other player. A week later, Messi injured his groin in a 1-1 draw with Atlético Madrid and had to miss three weeks.
He marked his return with a goal, scoring three minutes after coming off the bench in a 4–0 win over Deportivo de La Coruna, on 16 October. Three days later, he scored. scored his 37th hat-trick for the club as Barcelona beat Manchester City 4-0. On 1 November, Messi scored his 54th goal in Barcelona’s Champions League group stage games in a 1–3 loss to Manchester City, surpassing Raúl’s record of 53. On 12 November, Messi took second place in the 2016 Ballon d’Or race behind Cristiano Ronaldo, who won the title for the fourth time. He ended the year with 51 goals, making him Europe’s top scorer, ahead of Zlatan Ibrahimović.
After finishing second in the race for the Golden Ball, on 9 January 2017, Messi also finished second – behind Cristiano Ronaldo again – in the 2016 FIFA Best Player award. On 11 January, Messi scored from a free kick in Barcelona’s 3–1 win over Athletic Bilbao in the second leg of the round of 16 of the Copa del Rey, allowing Barcelona to progress to the quarter-finals of the tournament. In his next match, on 14 January, Messi scored in a 5–0 win over Las Palmas; With this goal, he equaled Raúl’s record for the number of teams conceded in La Liga (35).
On 4 February, Messi scored his 27th goal for Barcelona in a 3–0 win over Athletic Bilbao in La Liga, overtaking Ronald Koeman to become the all-time leading scorer from free kicks. penalty kick. In the Champions League, after sublimating in the group stage with 10 goals, he suddenly failed in the knocked-ot round when he scored only 1 more goal and Barca was eliminated in the C1 quarter-finals against Juventus. On April 23, Messi scored twice in a 3-2 win over Real Madrid, marking the first time he had conceded a goal against the “White Vulture” in three years. But at the end of the season, Barca failed to defend the La Liga title when 3 points behind Real. On May 27, Messi scored a goal and assisted Paco Alcáer in the 2017 Copa del Rey final. helped Barcelona win 3-1 over Alavés and was voted man of the match. In total, Messi completed the 2016-17 season with 54 goals and 16 assists, while his 37 goals in La Liga helped him win the Pichichi title and the European Golden Shoe for the fourth time in his career. mine.
3.1.12. Season 2017-18
Messi opened the 2017–18 season with a penalty kick in Barcelona’s 1-3 home loss to Real Madrid in the Spanish Super Cup. Thereby, Messi also raised his scoring record in El Clásico matches to 25 goals. On August 27, Messi scored his first two goals of the 2017–18 La Liga season in a 2–0 win over Alavés. Messi’s first goal marked his 350th goal in La Liga, becoming the first player ever to reach the milestone.
On 9 September, Messi scored his first hat-trick of the season against Espanyol in the Catalan derby, giving the Blaugrana a 5–0 win. Messi scored twice against goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon, on 12 September, when Barça beat Italian champions Juventus 3–0 at home in the group stage of the UEFA Champions League. On September 19, Messi scored four goals in a 6–1 win over Eibar at the Nou Camp in La Liga. Three weeks later, on 1 October, Messi surpassed former team-mate Carles Puyol to become the third-most capped player in the club’s history, as he helped Barça beat Las Palmas 3-0 by assisting. for Sergio Busquets to open the scoring in his 594th official match for the club;
On 18 October, in his 122nd European Cup match, Messi scored his 97th UEFA Champions League, and 100th European Cup goal, in a 3–1 win over Olympiakos. Messi became only the second player after Cristiano Ronaldo to reach this century-record milestone, but completed it with 21 games fewer than his great Portuguese arch-rival. On October 23, Messi finished second behind Ronaldo in the 2017 Men’s Player of the Year Awards for the second year in a row. On 4 November, he made his 600th appearance for Barcelona in a 2–1 win over Sevilla in La Liga.
After receiving his fourth Golden Boot, Messi signed a new contract with Barcelona on 25 November, keeping him at the club until the end of the 2020–21 season with a buy-back clause of 700 million euros. On December 23, Messi scored his 26th El Clasico goal from the penalty spot in Real Madrid’s 3-0 win at the Bernabeu. On 7 January 2018, Messi made his 400th La Liga match against Barcelona in a 3–0 home win over Levante, marking the occasion with his 144th goal assist and 365th goal for Barcelona. club, helping him equal Gerd Müller’s record for most goals scored for the same club in a single year in Europe’s top five leagues. A week later, he broke Muller’s record, scoring his 366th La Liga goal from a free-kick in a 4-2 win over Real Sociedad.
On 4 March, he scored his 600th career goal with a free kick in a 1–0 home win over Atlético Madrid, in La Liga. On 14 March, Messi scored his 99th and 100th Champions League goals in a 3–0 home win over Chelsea, becoming only the second player after Ronaldo to reach the milestone and achieve it at the age of 20. younger, fewer games, fewer minutes and fewer shots than the Portuguese; His opening goal, after just two minutes and eight seconds, was also the fastest of his career. In the same match, he also assisted Ousmane Dembélé for Barcelona’s first goal; The result helped Barcelona progress to the quarter-finals of the Champions League for the tenth year in a row. However, Messi was dead in both quarterfinals against AS Roma,
On 7 April, he scored a hat-trick in a 3–1 win over Leganés, including his sixth goal from a free-kick, equaling former teammate Ronaldinho’s record. On May 7, Messi scored another goal in the El Clasico match at home, but Barca only drew 2-2. On 9 May, Messi scored as Barcelona beat Villarreal 5-1 to go on the longest unbeaten streak (43 games) in La Liga history. At the end of the season, Messi and Barca regained the La Liga title and successfully defended the Copa del Rey title for the fourth year in a row, personally setting a record for the fifth time to win the European Golden Shoe title.
3.1.13. 2018-19 season
With the departure of former captain Andrés Iniesta in May 2018, Messi was elected as the team’s new captain for the new season. On 12 August 2018, he lifted his first trophy as Barcelona captain, the Spanish Super Cup, following a 2–1 win over Sevilla; With his 33rd title for the club, he also became the player with the most trophies in the club’s history. In the first game of the season in La Liga, Messi scored twice to help Barca beat Alaves 3-0. His second goal of the game, coming from a free kick, was also the 6000th in La Liga history.
On 18 September, Messi scored a hat-trick in Barca’s 4–0 home win over PSV Eindhoven in the opening match of the Champions League group stage, setting a record for the player with the most hat- best trick in tournament history (8 hat-tricks). On 20 October, Messi scored and assisted in a 4–2 home win over Sevilla, but he was then forced off in the 26th minute with an injury to his right arm, which caused He had to take a three-week break. On 8 December, Messi scored two goals from free kicks – this was his 9th and 10th goals from a free-kick in 2018 – giving Barca a 4–0 away win. in the Derby match against Catalan rivals Espanyol in La Liga.
On 13 January 2019, Messi scored his 400th La Liga goal in his 435th appearance, giving the home side a 3–0 win over Eibar. Messi became the first player to compete in Europe’s top five leagues to achieve this milestone. On 16 April, Messi scored twice in a 3–0 home win over Manchester United in the second leg of the Champions League quarter-finals, giving Barcelona a 4–0 aggregate victory. , through which Barcelona advanced to the semi-finals of the tournament for the first time since 2015; These were also his first goals in the quarter-finals of the Champions League since 2013.
On 27 April, Messi came off the bench and scored the only goal in a 1–0 home win over Levante, officially taking Barcelona to the La Liga title. This is his 450th appearance in La Liga, and also his first championship as captain of the club Barcelona. On 1 May, Messi scored twice in a 3–0 home win over Liverpool in the first leg of the Champions League semi-final; Messi’s second goal of the game was a beautiful free kick from 35 yards, which was also his 600th goal in a Barcelona shirt. In the second leg six days later at Anfield, Barcelona suffered a 4-0 away defeat, which saw Liverpool progress to the final with a score of 4-3 after two legs.
On May 19, in the final match of the season in La Liga, Messi scored twice, helping the team to a 2-2 draw with Eibar (these were also his 49th and 50th goals in the Premier League). all competitions this season), through which he won La Liga’s top scorer title in the 2018-19 season, with 36 goals in 34 appearances. Messi has officially equaled Zara’s record for the number of times he has won the La Liga Top Scorer award, with six. He also won the European Golden Shoe award for the sixth time in his career, and for the third time in a row since the 2016-17 season. On 25 May, Messi scored his last goal of the season as Barcelona lost 1-2 to Valencia in the Copa del Rey Final 2019.
3.1.14. Season 2019-2020
With the departure of former captain Andrés Iniesta in May 2018, Messi was elected as the club’s new captain for the following season. On 12 August 2018, he won his first title as captain of Barcelona, the Supercopa de España, following a 2–1 win over Sevilla. On 19 August, Messi scored twice to help Barcelona beat Alavés 3–0 in their first La Liga match, with his opening goal coming from a sunken free kick, his third. 6000 of Barcelona in La Liga. On 18 September, Messi scored a hat-trick in a 4–0 home win over PSV Eindhoven in the opening match of the Champions League group stage, setting the record for the most hat-tricks of the tournament, with eight hat-tricks. On 20 October, Messi scored and assisted in a 4–2 home win over Sevilla, but he was forced to leave the field in the 26th minute because of an injury to his right arm; Tests later confirmed that he had broken a bone, leaving him out of action for about three weeks. On 8 December, Messi scored two free kicks – his ninth and tenth goals came from set pieces that year – a 4–0 away win over Espanyol at Derbi barceloní in La Liga; This is the first time he has done this at the tournament. Messi’s ten goals also make him the first player to achieve this number in 13 consecutive La Liga seasons. Messi successfully took two free kicks – his ninth and tenth goals came from set pieces that year – a 4–0 away win over Espanyol at Derbi barceloní in La Liga; This is the first time he has done this at the tournament. Messi’s ten goals also make him the first player to achieve this number in 13 consecutive La Liga seasons. Messi successfully took two free kicks – his ninth and tenth goals came from set pieces that year – a 4–0 away win over Espanyol at Derbi barceloní in La Liga; This is the first time he has done this at the tournament. Messi’s ten goals also make him the first player to achieve this number in 13 consecutive La Liga seasons.
On 13 January 2019, Messi made his 435th appearance in La Liga and scored his 400th goal in that same tournament in a 3–0 home win over Eibar, becoming the first player to reach the milestone. in one of the top five European national championships.
On 2 February, Messi scored twice in a 2–2 draw against Valencia, with the first goal coming from the penalty spot, his 50th La Liga goal; Thus, he became the third player in La Liga history after Cristiano Ronaldo and Hugo Sánchez to successfully complete 50 penalties. Later that month, the club admitted that they had begun to prepare for Messi’s future retirement.
On 23 February, Messi scored his 50th career hat-trick and also assisted Suárez to score, helping Barcelona to a 4–2 away win over Sevilla in La Liga; This goal is also the 650th goal of his career for club and country at the professional level. On 16 April, Messi scored twice in a 3–0 home win over Manchester United in the second leg of the Champions League quarter-finals to help Barcelona win 4–0 on aggregate, progressing to the semi-finals of the tournament for the first time. first since 2015; These were also his first goals in the quarter-finals of the Champions League since 2013.
On 27 April, Messi came on as a substitute and scored the only goal in a 1–0 home win over Levante, helping Barcelona win the league title; this was his 450th appearance in La Liga and his first championship as club captain.
On 1 May, Messi scored twice in a 3–0 home win over Liverpool in the first leg of the Champions League semi-final; His second goal of the game, a free kick from 35 yards, was the 600th at club level of his career, all scored for Barcelona. In the second leg six days later at Anfield, Barcelona suffered a 4–0 away defeat, helping Liverpool progress to the final 4–3 on aggregate.
On 19 May, in Barcelona’s final La Liga match, Messi scored twice in a 2–2 away draw against Eibar (his 49th and 50th goals in all competitions that season). , helping him win his sixth Pichichi title as the league’s top scorer, with 36 goals in 34 appearances; he equaled Telmo Zarra’s record for the most La Liga top scorers awards. He also won the Golden Shoe for the sixth and third time in a row since the 2016–17 season. On 25 May, Messi scored his final goal of the season in a 2–1 loss to Valencia in the 2019 Copa del Rey final.
3.1.15. Season 2019–20
On 5 August 2019, it was announced that Messi would miss Barcelona’s tour of the US after suffering a right calf injury. On 19 August, Messi’s goal from the edge of the box against Real Betis was nominated for the 2019 FIFA Puskás Award. Later that month, Messi continued to suffer a calf injury, which prevented him from playing the opening match. season curtain; As a result, he was sidelined and was only allowed to return to play with Barcelona after an international break in September. On September 2, Messi was one of the final three contenders for the 2019 FIFA Puskás Prize and the Award. FIFA 2019 Men’s Player of the Year, Messi won then on September 23.
Messi made his first appearance of the 2019-20 season on September 17, and on October 6, Messi scored his first goal of the season with a free kick in a 4–0 away win. home in front of Sevilla; this is his 420th goal in La Liga, helping him break Cristiano Ronaldo’s record of 419 goals in Europe’s top 5 national championships. On 23 October, Messi scored his first Champions League goal in a 2–1 away win over Slavia Prague, becoming the first player to score in 15 consecutive Champions League seasons (excluding qualifying). . He also equaled Raúl and Cristiano Ronaldo’s record of scoring against 33 different teams in a year. On 29 October, Messi scored and provided two assists in a 5–1 home win over Real Valladolid in La Liga; His opening goal – a shot from 35 yards – was the 50th successful free-kick of his career. With a total of 608 goals, Messi has surpassed Cristiano Ronaldo’s total of 606 goals at club level alone. On 9 November, Messi scored three goals (including two free kicks) in a 4–1 home win over Celta Vigo. This was his 34th hat-trick in La Liga, equaling Cristiano Ronaldo’s record. On 27 November, in his 700th match for Barcelona, Messi scored one goal and assisted two in a 3–1 home win over Borussia Dortmund in the UEFA Champions League. Borussia Dortmund are the 34th team he has conceded in that tournament, breaking the previous record of 33 held by Cristiano Ronaldo and Raúl. On December 2, Messi won the Ballon d’Or for the sixth time.
On 22 February 2020, Messi scored four goals in a 5–0 home win over Eibar in La Liga. On 14 June, in a 4–0 win over Mallorca, Messi scored once and provided two assists, becoming the first player in La Liga to score 20 or more goals in 12 consecutive seasons. On 30 June, Messi successfully scored a panenka penalty in a 2–2 home draw against Atlético Madrid in La Liga, marking his 700th career goal for Barcelona and Argentina. On 11 July, Messi registered his 20th assist of the season for Arturo Vidal in a 1–0 away win over Real Valladolid, equaling Xavi’s record of 20 assists in the La Liga season. 2008–2009; with 22 goals, He also became the second player after Thierry Henry in the Premier League in the 2002–03 season with Arsenal (24 goals and 20 assists), to score at least 20 goals and provide 20 assists in a single season at a single club. in the top five European national championships. After his brace in a 5–0 win over Alavés in the final game of the season on 20 May, Messi ended the season as top scorer and assist in La Liga, with 25 goals and 21 assists, helping him win his seventh Pichichi title, overtaking Zarra; However, Barcelona lost the championship to Real Madrid. On 9 August, in the second leg of the Champions League round of 16 against Napoli at Camp Nou, Messi scored the second goal and earned a penalty that led to the third goal, helping Barcelona to a 3–1 win over Napoli. home and with a total score of 4–2, Barcelona advance to the quarter-finals against Bayern Munich. On 15 August, Messi suffered his worst defeat as a player when Bayern Munich beat Barcelona 8–2 in Lisbon, once again Barca were knocked out of the Champions League.
3.1.16. August 2020: Desire to leave Barcelona
“ I am not happy and I want to leave. I am not allowed to do this in any way and I will stay at the club so as not to get into a legal dispute. Bartomeu’s way of managing the club is a disaster. My love for Barca will never change. ” – Messi spoke about changing his mind to leave Barcelona in an interview with Goal on September 4, 2020.
After growing discontent with the management of Barcelona both on and off the pitch, Barça announced that Messi had sent the club “a text expressing his desire to leave” on 25 August. 2020. This announcement has attracted attention from the media, including current and former teammates (who support Messi’s decision) and Catalan governor Quim Torra. On August 26, Barcelona sporting director Ramon Planes reiterated the club’s desire to “build a team around the best player in the world” and insisted Messi could only leave if that was the case. outright purchase of 700 million euros is paid; Messi has the option to terminate his contract early (it allows him to leave the club freely), that can only be done if he informs Barcelona of his decision by May 31, 2020, although Leo’s representatives argue that the deadline is pushed back to August 31. The 2019–20 season has been postponed. On August 30, La Liga released a statement saying Messi’s contract and buyout clause were still in effect.
On September 4, Jorge Messi, Leo’s father and agent, issued a statement in response to La Liga stating that the release clause “is not valid where the termination of the contract is due to a single decision.” player’s side from the end of the 2019–20 season”, as stated in Messi’s contract with Barcelona; shortly after, La Liga issued a response reiterating their previous statement on August 30. Later that evening, Messi announced in an interview with Goal that he would remain at Barcelona. in the final year of the contract. In the interview, Messi revealed that he has informed Barcelona of his desire to leave several times and club president Josep Maria Bartomeu said Messi can decide whether to leave or stay at the end of each season. , Bartomeu only mentioned the release clause.
3.1.17. 2020–21 season
On September 27, Messi opened the 2020–21 season by successfully scoring a penalty in a 4–0 home win over Villarreal in La Liga. Two days before the opening game, he again criticized the club, this time about the departure of Luis Suárez, saying, “at this stage nothing surprises me anymore”. On 20 October, Messi successfully scored a penalty and assisted the fifth goal in a 5–1 home win over Ferencváros in the Champions League, becoming the first player to score in 16 Champions League seasons. Leagues consecutively. On 25 November, Messi was nominated for the 2020 FIFA Men’s Player of the Year award, and was subsequently shortlisted for the final three contenders for the award. On 29 November, Messi scored his fourth goal in a 4–0 win over Osasuna. After scoring, he revealed a Newell’s Old Boys shirt in tribute to Diego Maradona, who had died four days earlier, and pointed with both hands to a screen showing Maradona’s face in the stadium. It is a replica of the number 10 of the same shirt that Maradona wore during his time with the club in 1993. On December 17, Messi finished third at the FIFA Men’s Player of the Year award after the following. Robert Lewandowski and Cristiano Ronaldo, and were also placed in the FIFA FIFPro World XI for the 14th year in a row.
On 23 December, Messi scored his 644th goal for Barcelona against Real Valladolid in La Liga, surpassing Pelé in a Santos shirt to become the player with the most goals for a club. To celebrate his achievement, Budweiser sent beer bottles to all the goalkeepers Messi had conceded. On 17 January 2021, Messi was sent off for the first time in his club career for violent behavior (swinging his arm to Asier Villalibre’s head, initially ignored by the referee but later revisited. via VAR) in the final minutes of a 2–3 loss to Athletic Bilbao in the 2020–21 Supercopa de España final. On 10 March, Messi scored from 35 yards in a 1–1 draw against Paris Saint-Germain at the Parc des Princes in the second leg of the Champions League round of 16. For the first time in 14 years Barcelona were eliminated in the round of 16 with a total score of 2–5 after losing 1–4 at the Camp Nou on 16 February, Messi was the only goal scorer for Barcelona. in that match. On 15 March, Messi scored 2 goals and provided an assist in a 4–1 win over Huesca. With his first goal, he became the first player to score at least 20 goals in 13 consecutive seasons in Europe’s top five leagues. On 21 March, he surpassed Xavi to become the club’s most-capped player with 768 appearances, he also scored a brace in a 6–1 away win over Real Sociedad. On 17 April, Messi scored twice in Barcelona’s 4–0 win over Athletic Bilbao in the 2021 Copa del Rey final. With his second goal, Messi broke Gerd Müller’s record of 30 goals in 12 consecutive seasons, setting a new record of 13. With his 35th title with Barcelona, Messi also surpassed Ryan Giggs to become the player with the most titles. for a club. As the top scorer in La Liga, Messi won the Pichichi title for the eighth time in his career. It was also his fifth consecutive top scorer title in La Liga, surpassing Alfredo Di Stéfano and Hugo Sánchez, both of whom have won the title four times with Real Madrid.
On 1 July 2021, Messi became a free agent after the expiration of his contract with Barcelona amid negotiations for a new contract. On August 5, Barcelona announced that Messi would not be returning to the club.
4. International career
In June 2004, he made his debut for the Argentina U-20 team in a friendly match against Paraguay. In 2005, he was a member of the Argentina U-20 team that won the 2005 World U-20 Championship in the Netherlands. Also in this tournament, he won the title of World U20 Top Scorer and World U20 Player of the Year.
In April 2005, Messi was called up by coach José Pekerman to the Argentina national team for the first time. He made his national team debut on August 17 against Hungary at the age of 18 years and 54 days, but it was an unforgettable memory for him. Coming on as a 63-minute substitute, he was shown a red card from referee Markus Merk 40 seconds later, because he thought Messi had elbowed defender Vilmos Vanczák, who had pulled his shirt. This decision was controversial and even Maradona said it was a pre-arranged decision to ruin Messi’s debut. Messi made his first appearance in the official squad on September 3, in Argentina’s 0-1 away loss to Paraguay, in the 2006 World Cup qualifiers. Before that match, Messi said: “This can be considered. is the first game.
Advertisement
