Lionel Messi, the FIFA World Cup champion, eclipsed bitter rival Cristiano Ronaldo for the record of most club goals scored in Europe with his strike against Nice in PSG’s 2-0 away victory on Saturday.
The Argentine scored the goal in the 26th minute, scoring with his magical left foot after PSG full-back Nuno Mendes found him in the center of the box.
Messi’s 702nd goal in European club football helped him surpass Ronaldo’s 701 goals for teams throughout Europe before departing to join Saudi Arabian side Al Nassr after his rocky second spell with English giants Manchester United.
Messi would spice up his night even further when he delivered a corner kick expertly into the heart of the box, where Sergio Ramos rose highest to head the ball into the back of the goal.
Messi’s assist was his 298th in professional football, bringing his total goal contributions at the European club level to an unbelievable 1000.
PSG leads the French league by six points after 30 games, with 69 points.
Despite the records, goals, and assists, Messi’s time in Paris hasn’t been without incident, with PSG fans booing and whistling the seven-time Balon d’Or winner on many occasions.
Messi was whistled at by supporters of the capital city club during PSG’s 1-0 defeat to Lyon, which came after the Qatari-owned club’s 2-0 thrashing of Rennes. Surprisingly, both defeats occurred at PSG’s home stadium, Parc des Princes.
Messi bore the brunt of the criticism when PSG were dumped out of the UEFA Champions League in the Round of 16 by German champions Bayern Munich.
At the same time last year, PSG were eliminated from the premier continental competition by Real Madrid, who would go on to win the trophy for a record-extending 14th time in their history.
With things in the French capital not looking as promising for a player of Messi’s caliber, a stunning return to his beloved Barcelona seems to be on the cards, assuming the Catalan club can reallocate some assets and find a solution to cope with their financial constraints.
Messi’s connection with former teammate and current Barcelona head coach Xavi might have an impact on Messi’s future, as the Argentine will undoubtedly evaluate his options at the conclusion of the season.
