MADRID - Lionel Messi reached a new landmark Saturday by scoring his 643rd goal for Barcelona, equalling the record held by Pele for goals recorded for the same club, but who is football’s greatest marksman? Messi’s latest achievement came in the 2-2 draw with Valencia when the 33-year-old headed in from Jordi Alba’s cross after his first-half penalty was saved.
It equalled the mark set by Brazilian great Pele for Santos before he left for New York Cosmos in 1974.
Messi’s goals have come in 748 matches, an average of one every 1.16 games; Pele’s came in 757 matches at one every 1.17 games. “These figures are impressive, we will never have a player so effective at this club,” admitted Barcelona coach Ronald Koeman.
“That’s why he is the number one. What he has done for this club, it’s impressive.” Rarely does a season go by when Messi isn’t forcing football’s history books to be updated.
On July 1, in a 2-2 draw with Atletico Madrid, Messi scored the 700th goal of his professional career -- club and internationals combined -- with a clever ‘Panenka’ penalty.
More than 15 years have passed since Messi opened his goal account with Barcelona. It was on May 1, 2005, against Albacete in La Liga in a 2-0 win.
However, his love affair with Catalonia soured in August this year when he threatened to leave.
He will still be free to quit on July 1, 2021 at the end of his current contract.
In all, he has 680 goals in 801 appearances with Barcelona, if goals scored in ‘unofficial’ matches are also counted.
The six-time Ballon d’Or winner is comfortably the club’s leading scorer, ahead of Cesar Rodriguez’s 230 goals, as well as in the history of the Spanish Championship. -AFP
