Barcelona forward Lionel Messi broke the club’s all-time goalscoring record of 232 on Tuesday night in style.
Previous leader Cesar Rodriguez was thought to have scored 235 official goals for the Blaugrana but that has now been amended to 232 after a study removed three goals attributed to him.
And Messi wasted no time in overhauling the milestone at the age of 24 – having scored an incredible 48 goals in 40 games for the Catalan giants this season, including eight hat-tricks – with another treble ina 5-3 win against Granada.
The three-time FIFA World Player of the Year slotted home Isaac Cuenca’s cross in the 17th minute and then secured the record outright in the 68th minute when he lobbed the ball over Granada goalkeeper Julio Cesar, before rounding the keeper late on for his third.
Manager Pep Guardiola said after the game: “You have few players who dominate like this, but he does it. You can compare him perfectly to [basketball legend Michael] Jordan.
“The day that Leo Messi overcame Cesar, we’ve had a game from that era. Leo has entered history. Those who knew Cesar have told me that he was exceptional.
“I want to thank the team for overcoming all adversity and this guy who is continuing to make history.
“It’s all been said before about Messi. He doesn’t only score goals, he scores great goals; each one is better than the last. We are seeing the very best in action.
“I’m sorry for those who try to take his throne but this kid is different, better, we are excited to have him.”
Rodriguez’s goals came in the early 1950s and although he currently holds the record in official matches, Paulino Alcantara has the overall record of 369 goals in 357 official and friendly games..
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