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Lionel Messi had a fabulous goal-scoring 2019, notching up 50 or more goals for club and country for the second time in as many years. The diminutive Argentinian's haul of exactly 50 goals scored during the year was only surpassed by Bayern Munich's prolific marksman Robert Lewandowski who scored 54. The only low point of Messi's prolific year was the 2019 Copa America campaign in Brazil where the Argentina captain's measly return of 1 goal in 6 games coincided with his side's indifferent displays as the Albiceleste lost to eventual winners Brazil in the semifinals.
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An injury meant that Messi had a belated start to 2019-20 season, but it was not too long before the Barcelona captain hit his stride and created new landmarks. Successive La Liga hat-tricks at home against Celta de Vigo and Real Mallorca respectively saw Messi equal and then break Cristiano Ronaldo's record of 34 La Liga hat-tricks. Let us view the top-5 records set or equalled by Lionel Messi during the year 2019.
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#1: Win a record-tying 6 Pichichi awards
Scoring over 30 goals in La Liga season for the third consecutive season, Messi's haul of 36 Liga goals during 2018-19 saw Barcelona win a 4th Spanish top-flight in 5 seasons. In the process, Messi won his 6th Pichichi award (top-scorer in La Liga season), which equalled Telmo Zarra's record set in 1952-53.
It marked the 8th time in 10 seasons that he scored 30 or more goals in a Spanish season. Messi, along with Cristiano Ronaldo are the only players to score 40 or more goals in a Liga season on 3 occasions apiece. Messi holds the record for most goals in La Liga season, scoring a staggering tally of 50 goals in the 2011-12 edition of the competition.
#2: Scores in 16 consecutive La Liga seasons
After goals from Luis Suarez, Arturo Vidal, and Ousmane Dembele gave Barcelona a comfortable 3 goal cushion in their league game against Sevilla at home, club captain Lionel Messi brought the coup de grace on a fine performance from the Blaugrana. In the process, Messi broke a record he shared with Artiz Aduritz of Athletic Bilbao, by scoring in a record 16th consecutive Liga season.
#3: Scoring in 15 consecutive Champions League seasons
Following a quiet outing in his first European game of the season at Borussia Dortmund which ended in a goalless draw, Messi opened the scoring for Barcelona in his team's 2-1 win at Czech side Slavia Praha. In the process, Messi became the first player in the competition to score in 15 consecutive seasons, breaking a tie he shared previously with Real Madrid's Raul and Karim Benzema. In the process, Messi tied Raul and Cristiano Ronaldo's records of scoring against 33 different opponent teams in the competition.
#4: Scoring against 34 different opponents in the Champions League
Messi became the first player in Champions Leaguehistory to score against 34 different teams in the competition when the Barcelona captain scored his side's second goal in the 3-1 home win over Borussia Dortmund.
Messi's tally of 9 goals against Arsenal is his highest he has netted against any team in the Champions League, while his 26 goals against English clubs is the most he has scored against clubs from any country.
#5: Record breaking 6th Ballon d'Or
Lionel Messi shared the record of most Ballon d'Or awards (5 apiece) with Cristiano Ronaldo. Following his goal-scoring exploits during the year, the Barcelona captain became the first player to win 6 Ballon d'Ors . Messi is the only player in the history of the prestigious award to have won the coveted Ballon d'Or in 4 consecutive years, doing so between 2009 and 2012.
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