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Lionel Messi is a player who can be described by countless adjectives and one of those that has come to define him in recent years is - record-breaker.
The Barcelona captain already has multiple goal-scoring records to his name, including most goals in La Liga history, most free-kick goals in La Liga history and most goals for Barcelona, just to name a few.
His abilities and an eye for goal are legendary and his consistency over the last decade or so is what makes him one of the best players of our generation.
He has broken so many records over the past few seasons, that, now it seems, every time he steps on to the field he will go home after the 90 minutes with a brand-new record to his name.
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Unfortunately, we have not been able to see him in action yet this season for the Catalans due to a calf injury, but one thing's for sure, when Messi does recover, it's certain that it will be another season when the five-time Ballon d'Or winner sets new records.
Interestingly, as we will find out our list below, some of the records that Messi can and might assail this term are currently held by none other than Cristiano Ronaldo, with whom he shared a healthy rivalry during the Portuguese's nine-year spell with Real Madrid. (Check out 5 records Ronaldo can break this season here)
So, without further ado, let's take a look at the five incredible records that Messi stands a chance to add his already impressive haul as the season gets underway.
#5. First player to score 50 or more goals in seven seasons
There have been a lot of prolific goalscorers who have graced the beautiful game. Ferenc Puskas, Pele, Di Stefano, Ronaldo Nazario, Maradona all find their places in the list. But the consistency with which Ronaldo and Messi have found the back of the net has never been seen before.
Both of these stars now have more than 600 career goals and have taken home the coveted European Golden Shoe on multiple occasions. Unsurprisingly, the duo has also scored 50 or more goals across all competitions on six occasions, with an astonishing tally of 91 goals being the left-footed forward's best return and 61 being his right-footed adversary best numbers.
Scoring a half-century of goals in a season is no small feat, because it would mean that, on average, a player has to score a goal per match during the campaign, which is we know, well-nigh impossible.
So, having matched Ronaldo's record of 50 or more goals in most seasons last campaign, Messi, who was last season's top scorer across Europe, now stands a chance to create history by becoming the first player ever to achieve the feat in seven seasons, if he matches or betters his tally from the 2018/19 season.
#4 First player to score 10 hat-tricks in the UEFA Champions League
We have already established that when it comes to scoring goals, Messi and Ronaldo are on a completely different level in comparison to their contemporaries.
Ronaldo and Messi are also the top two-goalscorers in the history of UEFA Champions League with 126 and 112 goals respectively.
Apart from the above-mentioned distinction, they also hold the spectacular record of having scored the maximum number of hat-tricks in the elite European competition, with eight apiece.
Scoring three goals in a match is no easy task, especially in the Champions League where the best of the best go head to head, but if anyone can do it on a regular basis, you can bet your bottom dollar it would be these two talismans.
Given that Messi scored a total of four trebles last season, he now has the opportunity to write history again and become the first player to notch 10 hat-tricks in the Champions League. There's also the incentive of beating his long-time rival to the mark.
#3 Surpass Ronaldo's record of 34 La Liga hat-tricks
Not only does the duo of Messi and Ronaldo keep each other on their toes in terms of individual honors like the Ballon d'Or, but they also provide each other with a healthy amount of competition when it comes to breaking records.
As mentioned earlier, Messi is on the brink of breaking multiple records set by the former Manchester United ace. So, here's the final record of our list that was set by Ronaldo and can be definitively broken by Messi in the 2019/20 season with Barcelona.
The former Real Madrid man still holds the record for the most hat-tricks in La Liga history, with 34 to his name, despite the fact that it has been more than a year since he departed for the Serie A with Juventus.
Messi is right behind the Portuguese legend with 33 three-goal hauls in the Spanish top-flight. So, it might be safe to say that it's just a matter of time before the 32-year-old not only equals but breaks Ronaldo's record this season.
If he scores a 35th hat-trick before the season ends, apart from owning the La Liga record, he would also become the player with most hat-tricks across any of the Europe's top five leagues.
#2 Break Ryan Giggs' record of most trophies with a single club
The five-time Ballon d'Or winner is already the most successful player in Barcelona history. Not only has he won the most titles with the Blaugrana, he's also won more games than anyone else in the blue and red jersey.
After lifting the La Liga title for a record tenth time in his career last term, he has now won a total of 34 titles with the Spanish club, which has his closing in on the top player to have won most silverware with a single club, Manchester United icon Ryan Giggs who has 36 such honors.
The wizard of a footballer has not gone without at least one major honor with his club since the 2008/09 season and given that he's always on the top of his game with his club, he needs to win a treble with the Blaugrana to surpass the Welshman's feat and two major trophies to equal him.
#1 Break the record of Telmo Zarra by claiming a seventh Pichichi award
It is no news that the Barcelona and Argentina captain is a prolific goalscorer. Season after season he has delivered for his club, scoring goals for them when they needed them the most, all the while setting up records for himself too.
He has finished as the top scorer in La Liga on six occasions so far, with his latest honor coming in the 2018/19 season, when he scored 36 goals in 34 appearances to take home the Pichichi trophy which also won him a sixth European Golden Shoe.
Currently, he finds himself on level with Athletic legend Telmo Zarra, who had also won the honor six times and set a record that was insurmountable for the past 66 campaigns of the Spanish top flight.
But now that Messi has caught up to him, he can etch his name forever into La Liga folklore by becoming the first player ever to win the Pichichi award on seven occasions, if he gets himself on the score-sheet more than any other player during the current campaign.
If he achieves the impressive distinction, he would've matched the extraordinary achievement of the legendary Gerd Muller, who holds the record for winning the Golden Boot in the same league on maximum occasions, having finished as the top-scorer for seven Bundeslliga seasons between 1966 and 1978.
