Lionel Messi has enjoyed a remarkable career. The one club man has scored 700 career goals for Barcelona and Argentina, and brought that total up last night as he scored the Catalan club’s second in a 2-2 draw against Atletico Madrid.
While that result may actually cost Barcelona the La Liga title as they sit a point behind their great rivals Real Madrid while having played a game more, what it does mean is that the unique mercurial talents of Messi are in the news all over again. But can you recall his 100th, 200th, 300th and every other centenary goal during his incredible career? No need, we’ve done so for you.
When Messi chipped in his first goal for the club aged just 17, perhaps no-one could have guessed the extent to which Barcelona, clad in blue and red, would come to rely on him. Messi, put clean through by Brazilian superstar Ronaldinho with an incredible chipped assist, fakes to smash the ball then simply follows one lobbed pass with an even better lobbed shot.
Ronaldinho, who would come to regard Messi as a little brother during his later years at the club, had passed on the baton.