Lionel Messi surpasses Telmo Zarra as La Liga's all-time top scorer

Messi applauds the crowd after breaking the all-time La liga goal scoring record

Lionel Messi broke Telmo Zarra’s long standing record of 251 goals in the La Liga to create history with a hat-trick in Barcelona’s 5-1 win against Sevilla. Entering the match on 250 goals, the Argentine equalled the record with a beautiful free-kick in the 21st minute, surpassed it with a sliding finish after a one-two with Neymar in the 76th minute and then completed his hat-trick with a shot at the edge of the box. Previous holder Zarra was an Athletic Bilbao legend who had scored 251 goals in 277 games.

Rival Cristiano Ronaldo, who is having a phenomenal season, is 9th on the all-time list. He has 197 goals at a staggering 1.12 goals per game average. Messi was felicitated by his club and was given a video tribute after the game on the giant screen.The Argentine and his Real Madrid rival are the only current players on the Top 10 list.

The four-time Ballon d’Or winner is yet to break the record of the maximum number of Pichichi titles, the La Liga Golden Boot. Zarra holds that record with six wins. Messi has done it thrice: 2009/10, 2011/12 and 2012/13. The moment comes amidst rumours everywhere of him not being happy at the club and looking for a move elsewhere.Whether or not Messi feels he has achieved everything he thinks he should have with the club remains to be seen at the end of the season. For now, the sheer genius of the man should be the only thing in focus.

La liga top scorers

Name	Goals	Games	Goal Ratio	Team
Lionel Messi	253	289	0.88	Barcelona
Telmo Zarra	251	277	0.93	Athletic Bilbao
Hugo Sanchez	234	347	0.67	Athletico, Real Madrid, Rayo Vallecano
Raul Gonzalez	228	550	0.41	Real Madrid
Alfredo di Stefano	227	329	0.69	Real Madrid, Espanyol
César Rodríguez	224	353	0.63	Barcelona, Cultural Leonesa, Elche
Quini	219	541	0.40	Sporting Gijon, Barcelona
Pahiño	211	278	0.76	Celta, Real Madrid, Atletico, Deportivo
Cristiano Ronaldo	197	176	1.12	Real Madrid
Edmundo Suárez	195	231	0.84	Athletic Bilbao, Rayo Vallecano, Alcoyano

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Check all three Messi goals below:

251st goal:

252nd goal:

253rd goal:

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Breakdown of all 251 league goals by Messi - season by season #siempremessi pic.twitter.com/y9u2BfEfqH

— MESSISTATS (@MessiStats) November 22, 2014

UPDATED - Messi's favourite league victims (home & away): 18 goals | SEVILLA 17 goals | Atletico 17 goals | Osasuna 15 goals | Valencia

— MESSISTATS (@MessiStats) November 23, 2014

His team-mates gave him a deserved guard of honour.

WORLD's VINEST - Guard of honour for Messi https://t.co/4du7MLsc2X [via @10_leo10messi10]

— MESSISTATS (@MessiStats) November 22, 2014

Here is the 27-year-old’s first ever goal for Barcelona: Where it all began.