Within three weeks, we will be ready to usher in the New Year. As 2019 has almost ended, FOX Sports Asia takes a quick look at the top five records broken this year, by Barcelona legend Lionel Messi.
1. Most Ballon d’Or wins by any footballer in history
On December 2, Lionel Messi became the first and the only footballer in history to win six Ballon d’Or awards, after lifting the 2019 Ballon d’Or. Liverpool’s Champions League hero Virgil van Dijk emerged runner-up, while Messi’s eternal arch-rival Cristiano Ronaldo finished third.
The Barcelona captain played an important role in his club’s La Liga win in 2018-19, and he also led them all the way to the semi-finals of the 2018-19 Champions League. He also finished the season as the top goal-scorer in Europe – thereby making it possible for him to stake a claim for the Ballon d’Or 2019.
Until last year, both Messi and Ronaldo were tied at five Ballon d’Or wins each – the Barcelona ace won the prestigious award in 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2015, while the Portugal legend won it in 2008, 2013, 2014, 2016 and 2017. In 2018, Luka Modric won the award to break the ten-year-long duopoly of Messi and Ronaldo – but by winning it once again in 2019, the Argentine star has proven once again that he is the best footballer on the planet.
2. Goals scored against most oppositions in the UEFA Champions League
On November 27, Lionel Messi scored in the 33rd minute of Barcelona’s 2019-20 Champions League group-stage encounter against Borussia Dortmund – thereby making the Bundesliga giants the 34th different opponent which has scored against, in Europe’s top footballing competition. The match was also his 700th appearance in a Blaugrana shirt – which is yet another record.
Earlier, on October 24, he had scored once against Slavia Praha, thereby equalling the record of having scored against 33 different opponents in the UCL, held by Cristiano Ronaldo and Raul. The goal against Dortmund helped him claim the record for himself, and it is up to Ronaldo to see if he can equal it once again or break it in the years to come.
So far, Messi has won four Champions League titles, but his most recent win came in the 2014-15 season. This season, he will be keen to put an end to his five-year drought of not winning the UCL, and Barcelona have already advanced to the last-16 of this season’s competition.
3. Most hat-tricks in La Liga by any footballer in history
On December 7, Lionel Messi broke yet another La Liga record as he eclipsed Cristiano Ronaldo to become the first and the only footballer with 34 hat-tricks in the Spanish top-flight. Hence, he also became the footballer with the most La Liga hat-tricks in the history of the competition.
Less than a week after winning his sixth Ballon d’Or award, Messi scored the second, third and fifth goals for Barcelona en-route to their 5-2 win against Real Mallorca at the Camp Nou, to claim the record. The 32-year-old scored two long-range goals in the first half and then added a third seven minutes from time to make it 35 La Liga hat-tricks for himself.
With Ronaldo widely expected not to return to La Liga any time soon, it will not be a surprise if Messi scores more La Liga hat-tricks and keep the record for himself for a much longer period of time.
4. Only footballer in history to score 40+ club goals in 10 consecutive seasons
No footballer in the history of the sport has scored 40-plus club goals in ten consecutive seasons in world football – apart from Lionel Messi of course.
The Barcelona talisman scored 38 goals in 2008-09, in the ten subsequent seasons including 2018-19, he scored 47, 53, 73, 60, 41, 58, 41, 54, 45 and 51 goals respectively.
Messi also holds the world record of having scored the most number of goals in a calendar year, having scored 91 goals in 2012. 2011-12 and 2012-13 are the only two seasons where he breached the 60-goals mark, having scored 73 and goals in both seasons respectively.
5. Most European Golden Shoe awards won by any footballer in history
On October 16, Lionel Messi became the first and only footballer in history to win six European Golden Shoe awards, after emerging as the top goal-scorer in Europe in the 2018-19 season.
With that, he also became the footballer with the most European Golden Shoe awards, bettering his own record from the last season when he won it for the fifth time in his career.
The Argentine legend was awarded his first European Golden Shoe in 2009-10, and subsequently, he won the award in 2011-12, 2012-13, 2016-17, 2017-18 and 2018-19. He also became the first footballer to win the award three years in a row.
Cristiano Ronaldo has won the award four times (2007-08, 2010-11, 2013-14 and 2014-15) while Messi’s Barcelona teammate Luis Suarez, Eusebio, Gerd Muller, Thierry Henry and Diego Forlan have all won it twice during their career.
Source: https://www.foxsports.com.my/football/128734/5-records-lionel-messi-broke-this-year/