Lionel Messi is a true definition of Barcelona legend despite efforts to have him sign a new contract failed due to Laliga fair play rules.

The last 24 hours has been the worst for the Barcelona football players and fans who are still trying to come into terms with the news that the Argentine will not be continuing with the Club , a club which he grew from their academy La masia.

But amidst all the rumours and narratives which speculate of a possible free transfer to Paris saint Germain as per Fabrizio Romano, The Argentine star holds all of the main records in FC Barcelona history.

He has the most appearances for the team. Having scored the most goals, with the most wins. And, most important of all, he has won the most titles in the club’s 121-year history.

But it’s not club records he has set. It’s not just Spanish records. The player has smashed a number of European and world records, some of which few people believed could ever be beaten in the modern era. But Messi is no ordinary footballer. he is the GOAT. The following facts prove it:

MESSI’S WORLD RECORDS

• Lionel Messi is the only player in history to win the Ballon d’Or, FIFA World Player, Pichichi Trophy and Golden Boot in the same season. This happened in the 2009/10 season.

• Player with the most Ballons d’Or. He has won six Balloon d’Or. Those honors coming in the years 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2015 and 2019

• Youngest player to win three Ballons d’Or. He was 24 years, 6 months and 17 days old when he won the third on January 9, 2012.

• Player with the most Golden Shoes. Has won six. They came in the 2009-10, 2011-12, 2012-13, 2016-17, 2017-18 and 2018-19 seasons.

• Top scorer in a season in official competitions. He scored 73 goals in 2011/12 (50 in the League, 14 in the Champions League, 3 in the Copa del Rey, 3 in the Spanish Super Cup, 1 in the European Super Cup and 2 in the Club World Cup)

• All-time top scorer in a calendar year. He scored 91 official goals in 2012. With Barça, 84 (59 in the League, 13 in the Champions League, 5 in the Copa del Rey and 2 in the Super Cup) and with the Argentine national team, 12. He also managed another 5 in friendlies with Barça, which would see the figure rise to a total of 96 goals

• Record of international goals in one year. He scored 25 goals in 2012 (13 in the Champions League and 12 with the Argentine national team), and shares the record with Vivian John Woodward, who scored 25 in 1909.

• Top scorer for the same club. As of May 27, he has 672 goals, surpassing the 643 that Pelé scored with Santos between 1956 and 1974

• Longest scoring streak in the league. He scored 33 goals in 21 consecutive matches from matchday 11 to 34 in the 2012/13 league season.

MESSI’S EUROPEAN RECORDS

• Top scorer in a European League since the establishment of the Golden Shoe trophy in the 1966/67 season. Set the record by scoring 50 goals in La Liga 2011/12

• Player who has scored against the most teams in the Champions League. He has scored against 36 different opponents, surpassing Cristiano Ronaldo’s 35

MESSI’S SPANISH RECORDS

• Player with the most domestic and international titles. He has 35 since 2002.this includes 10 leagues, 8 Spanish Super Cups, 7 Copas del Rey, 4 Champions Leagues, 3 Club World Cups and 3 European Super Cups.

•Player with the most Pichichi Trophies in the Spanish league. He has won87. He did it in the 2009/10, 2011/12, 212/13, 2016/17, 2017/18, 2018/19, 2019/20 and 2020/21 seasons

•Top scorer in the Spanish League. As of May 27, 2021, he has 474 goals in 520 games

• Top scorer in history. As of May 27, 2021, he has 709 in 836 games

• Top scorer in official competitions. As of May 27, 2021, he has 672 goals

• Top scorer in international competitions. He has 128 goals: 120 in the Champions League, 3 in the European Super Cup and 5 in the Club World Cup

• Top scorer in any edition of LaLiga. Scored 50 goals in the 2011/12 league season

• Top scorer at home in a season in official matches: Leo Messi scored 46 goals in all competitions at the Camp Nou during the 2011/12 season

• Top scorer at home in a season in LaLiga. He scored 35 goals at the Camp Nou in the 2011/12 league season

• Top scorer away from home in a season in LaLiga. Scored 24 away goals in the 2012/13 league season

• Most consecutive away league matches scored in. He scored 24 goals during 15 consecutive away games in the 2012/13 league season

• Top scorer in LaLiga’s second round. Scored 28 goals in the second half of the 2011/12 league season

• The only player who has been both top scorer and top assist provider in the same season. He scored 50 goals and supplied 15 assists (tied with Real Madrid player Özil) in the 2011/12 league season. He also did it in the 2017/18 league campaign (34 goals and 12 assists, matched in goals with Luis Suárez and in assists with Pablo Fornals, from Villarreal) and in the 2019/20 league season (25 goals and 21 assists)

• Absolute top scorer in a season. He scored 73 official goals in 2011/12 (50 in the league, 14 in the Champions League, 3 in the Cup, 3 in the Spanish Super Cup, 1 in the European Super Cup and 2 in the Club World Cup) and 2 more in friendly matches

•Most games scored in during a league season. He scored in 27 different games in the 2012/13 league campaign (46 goals), equaling the mark of Real Madrid’s Cristiano Ronaldo, who also scored in 27 games in the 2011/12 season

• First to score in an entire round in the league season. He scored 30 goals in 19 consecutive matches in the 2012/13 campaign, from day number 11 to 29

• Player with most hat-tricks, four-goal and five-goal contributions in official competition. March 22, 2021 sees him with 48 (41 hat-tricks, 6 four-goal hauls and one five-goal game)

• Player with the most hat-tricks and four-goal contributions in the league: 36. He has scored a total of 31 hat-tricks and 5 four-goal hauls in LaLiga throughout his career

• League season with all opponents scored against. He scored against all the teams in the 2012/13 LaLiga campaign, equaling the mark of Real Madrid’s Cristiano Ronaldo in 2011/12

• Player who has scored against most teams in LaLiga. He has scored against 38 different opponents in the Spanish top-flight, surpassing the record of 35 held by Raúl González and Aritz Aduriz

• Player with the most direct free-kicks scored in LaLiga. He has scored from 38 direct free-kicks in the league

• Player with most wins in official competition. As of May 27, 2021, he has 542 wins. Xavi is second with 476 victories

• Player with most wins in the Spanish league. As of May 27, 2021, he has 383 wins in the domestic competition

• Player with most El Clásico’s played. As of May 27, 2021, he has played a total of 45 matches against Real Madrid (29 in the league, 8 in the Copa del Rey, 2 in the Champions League and 6 in the Spanish Super Cup).

• Player with most El Clásico goals. As of May 27, 2021, he has scored 26 goals against Real Madrid (18 in LaLiga, 2 in the Champions League and 6 in the Spanish Super Cup)

MESSI’S PERSONAL RECORDS AT BARÇA

• Player with most official matches played. As of May 27, 2021, he has played 778 since his official debut

• Player with most appearances for Argentinian national side. As of 29 June he has played 148 times for Argentina, beating Javier Mascherano’s record of 147.

• Player with most matches played in the league. As of May 27, 2021, he has played 520 since his official debut in October 2004

• Youngest player to score 100 goals in official matches. He reached the figure on January 16, 2010, when he was 22 years old

• Youngest player to score 200 goals in official matches. He reached the figure on November 1, 2011, when he was 24 years old

• Top scorer in the European Cup / Champions League. He has 120 goals, almost 100 more than all his main pursuers

• Only player in the history of the club who has scored in six official competitions in one year. Messi scored in all six competitions in 2011, equaling the feat achieved by Pedro Rodríguez in 2009

•Player with the most goals scored in an edition of the Champions League. Leo Messi scored 14 goals in the 2011/12 Champions League. The record for the competition is held by Cristiano Ronaldo, who made it 17 in 2013/14