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Seven-time Ballon d’Or-winning maverick Lionel Messi hardly needs an introduction. Widely regarded as the best player in history, the Argentine superstar completed his trophy collection with the 2022 FIFA World Cup in December last year.
For 16 long seasons, Lionel Messi was at Barcelona, winning a whopping six Ballon d’Or trophies during his time there. After scoring 672 times and claiming 303 assists in 778 games, he left the club as a free agent in the summer of 31. Shortly after leaving Spain, he joined Paris Saint-Germain and has since appeared as one of their best players.
Lionel Messi has scored a staggering 698 goals between Barcelona and PSG, emerging as the top scorer in the history of the top five European leagues. Today, we will take a look at the top five clubs he has enjoyed playing the most against.
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Now, without further ado, let’s take a quick look at five teams Lionel Messi has scored the most goals against in his career:
#5 Real Madrid
One of the most decorated teams in history, Real Madrid, have struggled to keep the great Lionel Messi at bay. Between Barcelona and PSG, Messi have faced Los Blancos a whopping 47 times, scoring an impressive 26 goals and claiming 14 assists.
In the UEFA Champions League, Lionel Messi has faced Real Madrid four times thus far, twice in Barcelona’s colors and twice in PSG’s. In the 2010-11 Champions League semi-final, Barcelona claimed a 3-1 aggregate win over the All-Whites. Messi ran the show in the tie, scoring an excellent brace in a 2-0 first-leg win, which ended up deciding the clash.
Messi was not as successful in PSG’s colors, however, with him failing to score or assist as Karim Benzema propelled Madrid to a 3-2 aggregate win in the 2021-22 Champions League Round of 16.
Messi faced Madrid 29 times during his stay at Barcelona, scoring 18 goals and claiming nine assists. He won 14 times, drew six times, and lost nine games. In the Copa del Rey, Messi faced Madrid eight times. Surprisingly, he could not get on the scoresheet.
Lionel Messi also faced Los Merengues six times in the Spanish Super Cup, scoring six goals and providing three assists. Barcelona came out on top in two of those matches, losing three and drawing the remaining three.
#4 Athletic Bilbao
Lionel Messi has squared off against Athletico Bilbao 41 times in his career, bagging 29 goals and providing 11 assists. The 2022 FIFA World Cup winner faced them 27 times in La Liga, 10 times in the Copa del Rey, and four more times in the Spanish Super Cup.
Impressively, Messi never lost to Athletic Bilbao in La Liga, winning 21 matches and drawing six. The Argentina icon scored 18 times and claimed eight assists in that stretch. In the Spanish Cup, Messi scored eight times and claimed three assists in 10 games, winning six times, drawing twice, and losing the other two games.
Finally, in the Spanish Super Cup, Messi scored four thrice in four games. Barcelona, however, only managed to win one game, losing twice and drawing the remaining game.
#3 Valencia
Lionel Messi thoroughly tormented Valencia during his 16-season stay at Barcelona, scoring 31 goals and providing 13 assists in 36 games across competitions. The 35-year-old superstar faced Valencia 29 times in La Liga and seven times in the Copa del Rey, scoring four hat-tricks (three in La Liga, and one in the Spanish Cup).
In 29 La Liga games, Messi scored 27 goals and claimed 11 assists, winning 15 times, drawing 10 games, and losing four times. In the Copa del Rey, Messi bagged four goals and two assists in seven games. Barcelona won four, drew twice, and lost only once to Valencia in the Spanish Cup.
#2 Atletico Madrid
Lionel Messi has proven to be too hot to handle for Atletico Madrid, with Los Rojiblancos conceding 32 goals against the La Masia graduate in 43 games.
Messi has so far faced Atletico Madrid four times in the Champions League, failing to score even once. Barcelona faced them in the 2013-14 and 2015-16 Champions League quarter-finals, getting knocked out on both occasions.
In La Liga, Lionel Messi scored 26 times and provided seven assists in 30 games against Atletico, winning 18 games, drawing seven matches, and losing five times. In six Copa del Rey meetings, Messi scored five goals and claimed two assists, winning five games and drawing the other.
Finally, in the Spanish Super Cup, Messi scored once for Barcelona in three matches. The Blaugrana failed to win any of the three games, losing twice and drawing once.
#1 Sevilla
Sevilla have been outplayed time and time again by the genius Lionel Messi, with them conceding 38 goals against him in 43 games. Messi has also recorded 20 assists against the Andalusians.
In Barcelona’s colors, Messi faced Sevilla a total of 29 times in La Liga, scoring 30 times, including two hat-tricks, and providing nine assists. He won 21 games against them, losing only once and drawing the remaining seven games. In the Copa del Rey, Messi scored twice and claimed six assists in seven outings. Barcelona won five of those matches, losing the remaining two.
Between the Spanish Super Cup and the UEFA Super Cup, Messi took on Sevilla seven times. He scored twice in two UEFA Super Cup games, as Barcelona won one and lost the other. In the Spanish Super Cup, he bagged four goals and four assists in five matches, helping Barcelona to four wins (one defeat).
