BEVERLY HILLS, December 22, (THEWILL) – Argentine striker Lionel Messi did not need proving anything further about his superstar status. On Tuesday night, however, that was exactly what he did when he scored his 644th goal for Barcelona. The goal allowed him surpass Pele’s long-standing record for the most goals for one club in Barca’s 3-nil win over Real Valladolid.
The advantage of Messi’s sterling and impervious longevity in the game has meant that records are made with almost every match. It was another game, another piece of history again for the great man.
The 33-year-old, who created the opener with a cross for Clement Lenglet and was crucial to Barca’s second in the game, added his name to the score sheet after latching onto Pedri’s clever flick in the 65th minute to make it 3-0.
The Catalan talisman has struggled for his best form this season. The Argentine himself admitted the ill feeling between him and Barcelona over his attempt to leave the club in the summer affected his form at the start of this season, in which he has posted his lowest goal and assist tallies in 13 years. Yet, his goal was all it required to surpass Pele’s long-standing record for the most goals for a single club.
Before Tuesday’s match, Ronald Koeman’s side had chalked up just a single win away from home in La Liga this season and it added to the general team performance worries plaguing the Blaugrana. Only for the Cules to turn in one of their best performances of the campaign so far, lifting themselves up to fifth place on the log.
As well as taking him past Pele, it was also Messi’s 451st goal in the Spanish top division. His goal in the 2-2 draw against Valencia last time out made the 33-year-old the first player to reach the 450 milestone for a single club in any of Europe’s top five leagues.
His record aside, Messi shone throughout on Tuesday. He very nearly added to his tally in stoppage time but his attempt struck the upright. The football maverick who had not had much reasons to smile during this tumultuous season for Barca, had a beaming grin on his face post-match.
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
