Lionel Messi still manages to surprise us. This Saturday, it was with a header, after a missed penalty, that the Argentinian allowed Barça to equalize against Valencia (1-1, at half-time). An achievement after which the Pulga had been chasing for a long time because it was highly symbolic: his 643rd goal for the Barcelona jersey allows him to equal the total of pawns scored by the great Pelé in the jersey of Santos and to become co-top scorer in history with one and only club.
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So here is Messi at the height of King Pelé, at least for the club figures. At Barça, the only team in his career so far, the Argentinian started very early to martyr the opposing cages. His 1st goal, scored on a perfect pass from Ronaldinho and concluded with a subtle lob, dates back to May 1, 2005. Fifteen and a half years later, Messi is still enjoying it.
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Unsurprisingly, it is in La Liga that Messi has scored the most, finding the net 450 times since his career debut. The Champions League has also been a privileged playing field with 118 goals scored, the second highest total in history behind Cristiano Ronaldo. Unsurprisingly, it was with his left foot that he did the most damage (393 goals) even if, this Saturday, it was with his head that Messi went to seek the record.
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Should he part ways with Messi? “If Barça wants to make a revolution …”
