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Lionel Messi is one of the greatest footballers of all time. Seldom a year passes by when the left-footed forward fails to achieve something remarkable. 2021 was also fairly successful for the left-footed forward, which saw him leave his boyhood club Barcelona for Paris Saint-Germain.
Messi wrapped up his year as he played the full 90 minutes in PSG's 1-1 draw with Lorient in Ligue 1. The superstar is expected to be back in action in the first week of January in French Cup action against Vannes.
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We bid adieu to yet another year in which Messi emerged as one of the best footballers on the planet. Here we take a look at the top five moments of 2021 for Lionel Messi.
#5 Lionel Messi won a record-extending eighth Pichichi Trophy
Lionel Messi left Barcelona in the summer of 2021 yet he ended the calendar year as the top scoring player for the La Liga giants. Barcelona finished the 2020-21 campaign as the top-scoring side in La Liga, scoring 18 goals more than champions Atletico Madrid.
Messi was a big contributor to Barcelona's goals that season as he scored 30 goals and provided nine assists. He finished as the top scorer in La Liga for a record-extending eighth time with his haul of 30 goals. He lifted the prestigious Pichichi Trophy for the fifth time in a row.
He hasn't got off to a great start at PSG and that is reflected in his calendar year stats. 28 of his 34 goals at club level in 2021 were for Barcelona.
#4 Lionel Messi overtook Pele as the top-scoring South American footballer of all-time
Lionel Messi's prolific goalscoring record has allowed him to be the all-time top scorer in La Liga history. It has helped him become Argentina's all-time top scorer as well.
Well, his goalscoring prowess helped him break not one but two long-held goalscoring records of the legendary Pele this year. He overtook Pele's record of 77 goals in 92 games for Brazil with a brace against Bolivia in Argentina's World Cup 2022 qualifying campaign in September.
He is now the top-scoring South American player in international competitions. His tally now stands at 80 goals, with only Cristiano Ronaldo scoring more among active footballers.
In December, Messi overtook Pele's record of 757 official goals for club and country. He bagged a brace against Club Brugge in the last group stage game of the Champions League. Only Cristiano Ronaldo is now ahead of the player, with 801 goals with club and country.
#3 Seventh Ballon d'Or for Lionel Messi
There could not have been a better way for Lionel Messi to end 2021 than lifting the Ballon d'Or for the seventh time in his career. Messi fought off tough competition against Bayern Munich's Robert Lewandowski as he bagged the top spot in the voting by just 33 points.
Many were unhappy with the 34-year-old lifting the Golden Ball with just two trophies to his name this year. He also finished 11 goals behind Lewandowski in the European Golden Shoe rankings.
Lionel Messi's first major international trophy at the Copa America in the summer helped sway a lot of votes in his favor. With this win, he now holds a comfortable lead over Ronaldo, who has five Ballon d'Ors to his name.
#2 Eye-catching performances in Argentina's Copa America triumph
The fourth time proved to be the charm for Lionel Messi as he led Argentina to Copa America glory after three failed attempts. Messi was the standout player from the campaign as he finished as the top goalscorer (4) and the top assist provider (5) in the competition. It was Argentina's first major title since 1993, making them one of the top teams with the most international trophies in history.
It was the fifth appearance in the final of a major international competition, with the first one coming in the 2007 edition of Copa America. An international trophy was probably the biggest blemish on Messi's outstanding career and he has now achieved everything except the FIFA World Cup. Can he inspire them to World Cup glory in 2022, we will have to wait and find out.
#1 Lionel Messi's illustrious Barcelona career comes to an end
Leaving Barcelona after 20 years after the first training session with the club will probably go down as one of the greatest moments in Lionel Messi's career.
Messi helped Barcelona reach unparalleled heights since making his senior debut with the Catalan club in October 2004. He was a key part of the team that won the treble twice, first in the 2008-09 campaign and later in the 2014-15 season.
Messi is the all-time leading goalscorer for the La Liga club, scoring 672 goals in official fixtures. He has won 35 trophies with them, with the first one being La Liga in 2005 and the last one being Copa del Rey in 2021. His splendid spell with Blaugrana will go down as one of the greatest outings by a player with a single club in the history of the sport.
