Lionel Messi breaks Raul's UEFA Champions League goals record with a hat-trick against APOEL

Barcelona's Argentinian forward Lionel Messi celebrates scoring a goal during their UEFA Champions League football match against Apeol at the Neo GSP Stadium

Lionel Messi added another feather to his cap by breaking Raul’s record of 71 goals and becoming the highest scorer in UEFA Champions League history. He achieved the feat against Cyprus side APOEL Nicosia scoring his 72nd, 73rd and 74th goals during Barcelona’s 4-0 win at the GSP Stadium. He has equalled the Spaniard’s tally during a 3-1 win over Ajax. Rival Cristiano Ronaldo, who had earlier surged ahead is 4 goals short at 70.

The record is the Argentine’s second in the week after breaking Telmo Zarra’s record for most goals in La liga history against Sevilla with another hat-trick. The record-breaking goal was very un-Messi-like as the World Cup Golden Ball winner stuck a foot out to poke in a low cross by Rafinha in the 38th minute. He nudged the ball past the goalkeeper after latching onto a through ball by Dani Aves in the 58th minute. He completed his hat-trick after tapping in a cross from Pedro in the 87th minute.

Messi is now on 74 goals, Raul on 71 ans Cristiano Ronaldo on 70. Real Madrid play Basel ad the Portuguese will get an opportunity to get closer to his rival in Switzerland.

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Check out all three of his goals below:

72nd goal

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73^rd goal

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74^th goal

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Messi also broke a host of other records on the night:

He has now played most game in which he scored 2 or more goals. He went ahead of Real Madrid’s Cristiano Ronaldo.

Most games with 2+ goals in UCL: [20] MESSI [19] Cristiano [14] Raúl [12] Inzaghi [11] Van Nistelrooy [10] Henry

— MisterChip (English) (@MisterChiping) November 25, 2014

Messi is the 3rd player to manages five hat-tricks in the European Cup, after Alfredo Di Stefano and Ferenc Puskas.

ALL TIME RECORD - Messi is the 3rd player to score 5 hat-tricks in Champions Cup (don't confuse with Champions), after Di Stefano and Puskas

— MisterChip (English) (@MisterChiping) November 25, 2014

He has the most hat-tricks in UEFA Champions League history

Most hat-tricks in UEFA Champions League history: [5] MESSI [3] Inzaghi, Luiz Adriano and Mario Gómez

— MisterChip (English) (@MisterChiping) November 25, 2014

Messi now the highest scorer in the UEFA Champions League, La Liga, for Barcelona and in El Clasicos

At age 27, Lionel Messi breaks another major record. It’s his second in a week pic.twitter.com/AEAvXuYnjS

— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) November 25, 2014

Messi is now joint-top with Raul for scoring in most countries in the UEFA Champions League

Most countries scored in, in UCL [16] MESSI and Raúl [13] Cristiano [12] Henry and Anelka [11] VNistelrooy, Del Piero, Benzema, Kluivert

— MisterChip (English) (@MisterChiping) November 25, 2014

He is one of only 2 non European players with 50 or more goals in European competitions

Non European players with 50+ goals on European competition: Lionel Messi (74) and as of today, DIDIER DROGBA (50).

— MisterChip (English) (@MisterChiping) November 25, 2014