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Lionel Messi is widely regarded as one of the best players to have graced the game. During a long and distinguished career for club and country, the Argentine has scored goals by the bucketful and won titles galore.
Despite being on the wrong side of 30, Messi has continued to produce jaw-dropping performances over the years, especially for Barcelona, whom he joined almost two decades ago.
After his contract at the club ran out this summer, Messi, who led from the front in Argentina's Copa America 2021 triumph, was expected to re-join the Blaugrana. However, Barcelona dropped a bombshell of sorts when they announced on Thursday that their most decorated player has played his last for the club.
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Already in debt, the Blaugrana, inhibited by the La Liga's salary cap, were unable to jettison enough players to accommodate Messi's new contract. As a result they had to bid adieu to Messi, despite the Argentine reportedly agreeing a 50% pay cut.
Incidentally, a year ago, the player had expressed his wish to leave the club after Barcelona endured a first trophyless campaign in more than a decade.
As Messi prepares to tread uncharted waters (read 'play for another club other than Barcelona), here's a look at ten of his most astonishing records while representing the Blaugrana:
#10 Lionel Messi has won the most La Liga titles by a Barcelona player (10)
During his illustrious stint with Barcelona, Lionel Messi has been a standout performer. He has played a key role in their ten La Liga wins since making his debut for the Blaugrana in 2004.
That is the most league triumphs by a Barcelona player, one clear of Andres Iniesta, with Messi winning his most recent La Liga title for the club in 2019. That is also a record for the most La Liga wins by a non-Spanish players. In fact, only Real Madrid legend Paco Gento has won more La Liga titles (12) than Messi.
Messi was a key player in Barcelona's La Liga three-peat under Pep Guardiola, scoring close to 100 league goals in the three triumphant campaigns between 2008-09 and 2010-11.
#9 Most Pichichi awards for a single club and overall (8)
Lionel Messi holds a multitude of records in the history of the Spanish top flight. Apart from being the all-time top scorer (474) and assist provider (217), Messi is also the only player to score in 17 (consecutive) seasons in the competition.
Unsurprisingly, the Argentine has won the most Pichichi awards, finishing as the top goalscorer in a La Liga season on a record eight occasions. In winning his record-extending eighth Pichichi award last season, Messi broke a tie with Gerd Muller and Eusebio for top scoring in a European league on most occasions.
Despite winning a record fifth consecutive Pichichi award earlier this year, Barcelona have failed to win the La Liga since their latest triumph in 2018-19.
#8 Most titles by a player for Barcelona and for a single club (35)
Lionel Messi has won a plethora of titles with Barcelona. Apart from winning ten La Liga titles and four in the Champions League, Messi has won 20 other titles while playing for the Blaugrana.
The two-time continental treble winner won his 35th title with the Blaugrana in the 2020-21 Copa Del Rey, with Messi scoring a brace in the 4-0 win over Athletic Bilbao in the final. In the process, the Argentine broke Ryan Giggs' record of most titles (34) for a single club.
It was Messi's seventh title in the Copa Del Rey, where his 56 strikes are more than 20 clear of the next-most prolific goalscorer in the competition's history.
#7 Most appearances, goals and assists in the El Clasico
Since scoring his first career hat-trick against Real Madrid, Lionel Messi has tormented Barcelona's El Clasico rivals like none else.
The Argentine holds the record for most games (45), goals (26) and assists (14) in the history of arguably the most famous rivalry in club football. Earlier this year, Messi moved level with Sergio Ramos for most El Clasico games by a player; however, Messi stands alone for most goals and assists in the legendary rivalry.
With Ramos departing for PSG this summer and Messi leaving Barcelona, the most appearance record in El Clasico history could remain unbroken for a while.
#6 Lionel Messi has the most assists for a single club (305)
During his illustrious club career with Barcelona, Lionel Messi has mostly been known for his goalscoring exploits. But the Argentine has also consistently racked up assists over the years.
In fact, Messi's tally of 305 assists in all competitions for the Blaugrana is a record for the most assists by a player for a single club. Earlier this year, the Argentine registered his 300th assist for Barcelona.
In 2019-20, Messi won his seventh Pichichi award and also broke Xavi's record (20) for most assists in a La Liga season.
#5 Most Champions League goals for a club (120)
One of only two players to have scored over 100 goals in the Champions League, Lionel Messi (120) holds the record for most goals scored by a player for a single club in the competition.
Although it has been more than six years since Messi last won the Champions League, he has been a consistent scorer in the competition. During the 2018-19 edition of the competition, Messi broke Cristiano Ronaldo's record (105) for most Champions League goals for a single club.
However, despite the Argentine scoring 12 times in the competition that year, Barcelona squandered a 3-0 first-leg lead against Liverpool in the semi-final toget knocked out of the competiton.
#4 Most Ballon d'Or awards with a single club and overall (6)
Lionel Messi won a record sixth Ballon d'Or award in 2019. That broke a tie he had with Cristiano Ronaldo (5) for most wins in the history of the prestigious award.
Messi also holds a plethora of other records in the history of the Ballon d'Or, awarded to the best player across the world during a calendar year. He is the only player to win the award in four consecutive years, doing so between 2009 and 2012.
The Argentine's Ballon d'Or win in 2015 made him the first player to win the award five times for a single club, a record he has since extended to six after his latest win in 2019.
#3 Lionel Messi has the most hat-tricks for Barcelona (48)
Lionel Messi is widely known for his stellar goalscoring exploits, particularly in club football for Barcelona.
The Argentine has netted a record 48 hat-tricks in all competitions for the Blaugrana, 36 of them coming in the La Liga. The latter figure is a record tally by any player in the history of the Spanish top flight, two clear of Cristiano Ronaldo.
Messi's 48th and most recent hat-trick for Barcelona came in a La Liga game against Eibar in February last year, with the Argentine netting four times.
Despite netting 38 times in all competitions last season, Messi did not register a single hat-trick.
#2 Most goals for a single club (672)
Lionel Messi has been a prolific goalscorer, scoring a plethora of goals for Barcelona and Argentina. In fact, he is the top goalscorer for both teams.
Messi's tally of 672 goals across competitions for Barcelona is a record by a player for a single club. The Argentine went past the earlier record held by Pele (643) in December last year, with the 34-year-old since scoring almost thirty more times.
However, with the player leaving Barcelona, Messi is all likely to score his 700th goal in club football for another team.
#1 Most goals in a single season (73)
Lionel Messi produced the greatest-ever season in club football in 2011-12 when he netted a staggering 73 times across competitions for the Blaugrana. He also registered an impressive 29 assists that season, both being record tallies.
During that campaign, Messi became the first player in Europe's top five leagues to breach the 50-goal mark. The Argentine also scored 14 times in the Champions League, his most prolific campaign in the continental competition.
However, despite Messi's stellar exploits, Barcelona were beaten to the La Liga title by Real Madrid, while the Blaugrana were eliminated from the Champions League by eventual winners Chelsea in the semi-final. That meant Messi had to be content with only the Copa Del Rey title that season.
The Argentine would go on to score a record 91 goals for club and country during the year, another record tally, which earned him a record fourth-consecutive Ballon d'Or award.
