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Lionel Messi is currently enduring a tough start to life in Ligue 1. Since joining Paris Saint-Germain in a shock transfer this summer, he has not scored in the French top flight yet in five games spanning 325 minutes.
That makes it the worst start to a season in his illustrious career since 2005-06, which was only the second top-flight campaign of his career. Messi is off the mark for PSG in Europe, scoring once against Manchester City and twice against RB Leipzig. However, he hasn't had much luck in domestic games.
To exacerbate matters, he went off at half-time on Friday with a fresh injury. He has already had a few injuries earlier, causing him to miss games for PSG. In light of his domestic travails, here's a look at Messi's five worst goalscoring droughts:
#5 474 minutes (Apr '10 - May '10)
The 2009-10 season was the most productive year of Messi's young career; he scored 47 times in all competitions. But there was a period towards the end of it, between April and May, when he endured a dry spell.
The goals suddenly stopped for Messi for five games on the bounce, including three in a row in La Liga. This goalless sequence also included two Champions League semi-final games with Inter Milan, where holders Barcelona were knocked out.
When he was finally back on the scoresheet, he didn't stop, netting in each of the four remaining games of the season.
#4 515 minutes (Mar '16 - Apr '16)
Like his barren run in 2009-10, Messi was on a tear throughout the 2015-16 season. However, he appeared to run out of steam during the home stretch, going five games without a goal to set alarm bells ringing at Camp Nou.
Naturally, it coincided with Barcelona's decline in fortunes, with the side dropping points in four consecutive La Liga games. They also saw their Champions League title defence ended by Atletico Madrid once again.
Messi's wait for his 500th career goal finally ended against Valencia, but the match went 2-1 in the visiting team's favour.
It marked the first time Barcelona lost three consecutive league games in 13 years. However, the Blaugrana recovered to pip Real Madrid to the La Liga title by a solitary point, winning their last five games.
#3 564 minutes (Apr '07 - May '07)
Unlike the previous entries, this goalscoring drought of Messi included only La Liga games. He went six top-flight games without scoring. But he was only 19 back then, and still making his mark on the world stage.
Almost a month after his famous hat-trick in the El Clasico against Real Madrid, Messi endured a goalscoring drought. The Argentine ace went 564 minutes without finding the back of the net.
During the season, Messi scored a wonder goal against Getafe, displaying a lethal combination of pace, power, control and composure belying a teenager.
Messi's barren run finally ended with a brace against Atletico Madrid in a 6-0 rout. He would end the season with 17 league strikes - a decent haul for a teenager.
#2 757 minutes (Nov '07 - Feb '08)
Later that same year (2007), Messi endured another dry spell in front of the net. This time, it was a much longer one, as he went eight consecutive La Liga games spanning three months without scoring.
During this period, Messi endured a hamstring injury, leading him to miss three more games, including the 1-0 loss to Real Madrid in El Clasico. It is the longest number of games he has gone without a goal in La Liga.
#1 816 minutes (Oct '06 - Mar '07)
Messi scored 14 La Liga goals in 26 games despite suffering a horrific metatarsal fracture and a dip in form either side of the injury. That was a testament to his prodigious qualities.
That dip lasted seven top-flight games, starting in the 2-0 loss to Real Madrid in El Clasico. It also ended against Madrid in the second Clasico of the season. Messi scored his first hat-trick against the Merengues, the first of his career, as he announced his return to form in some style.
Messi would end the season with 17 goals across competitions
