PSG: five figures that show that Lionel Messi is a giant of the Champions League

"

I do not have the words

", breathes Mauricio Pochettino, when asked to describe one of the Parisian recruits of the summer, the so-called Lionel Messi.

"

I didn't think it would be possible (for him to sign with us), and when an opportunity like that presents itself and everything is going so fast, you may not realize it immediately,

" he said. Argentine technician, in an interview broadcast on the UEFA website.

And to add: “

I admired him for a long time as an opponent, so to see him now training with us, it's really nice.

We hope that together we can achieve the goals set by the club.

"

To discover

• Champions League fixtures and results

Namely a coronation in the Champions League.

And with Messi, Paris-SG has necessarily increased its chances of achieving it a little more.

The 34-year-old Argentina international is a football giant, as he has so often demonstrated in the European Cup.

Five figures that give the excessiveness of Leo Messi on the continental scene before his big debut in C1 with PSG, this Wednesday (8:45 p.m., live commented), in Bruges.

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4

- With four coronations (2006, 2009, 2011, 2015), Léo Messi is one of the most successful players in the history of the Champions League. Equal to Clarence Seedorf and his former Barcelona partners Xavi, Andres Iniesta and Gérard Piqué, he is only beaten by Cristiano Ronaldo, Alfredo Di Stefano, Alessandro Costacurta, Paolo Maldini (5 crowns in C1) and the only record holder, the Real Madrid legend Paco Gento (6).

6

- As the number of times the new number 30 of Paris Saint-Germain has finished top scorer at the end of a Champions League campaign.

This was the case in 2009 (9 goals), 2010 (8 goals), 2011 (12 goals), 2012 (14 goals, his personal best, 3 units behind that of Ronaldo), 2015 (10 goals) and 2019 (12 goals).

Obviously, 6 is also the number of Golden Balls that sit in the trophy cabinet of the Argentine international (153 caps, 79 goals).

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Messi won the supreme individual award four times in a row between 2009 and 2012, then in 2015 and 2019. Before a seventh consecration in 2021, in particular for the benefit of his Copa America victory with Argentina this summer?

He won't be far from it, that's for sure.

8

- Leo Messi is, with Cristiano Ronaldo, the record holder for the number of trebles registered in C1 (8).

All competitions combined, in clubs and in selection, the 34-year-old Argentinian has also "slammed" 55. The latest?

Just last Thursday, during the Albiceleste's 3-0 success against Bolivia.

The opportunity for him to overtake King Pelé and become the top South American scorer in the selection.

71

- As the number of goals scored by Messi in the Champions League group stage.

It's a record.

The Argentine is also the record holder for goals scored in the round of 16, with 28.

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120

- With 120 goals, Lionel Messi is the second highest scorer in the history of the "Champions".

He is only preceded by his eternal rival, Cristiano Ronaldo, who has shaken the nets 135 times in C1, including Tuesday night, with Manchester United.

“CR7” is also ahead of “Pulga” for all European club competitions (137 against 123).

In fact, Messi and Ronaldo are the only two players to have passed the 100 goals mark in C1. The third top scorer in the most prestigious European competition, Robert Lewandowski, scored "only" 73, ahead of Raul and Karim Benzema (71).