Oscar Barnade
08/25/2020 - 15:28
- Clarín.com
- sports
The news moves the football world: Lionel Messi announced to Barcelona that he wants to go. And is not for less. In 16 seasons, the Argentine became the top scorer in the history of the club and of Spanish football. He is also the biggest winner. There is a before and after Messi in the life of the Catalan institution. And it will be so from now on.
The best player of the 21st century made his debut in Barcelona on October 16, 2004, in the Derby against Espanyol (1-0), with the Dutch Frank Rijkaard as coach.
Until that moment, La Pulga had stood out in all the children's categories and in the Spanish Ascent, with 11 goals in 32 official matches. In the first 8 games in the top team, he only started twice and did not score.
Messi, in 2008, when he began to be the owner of Barcelona. Photo: AFP
Until December 11, 2004, against Albacete (2-1). He entered with three minutes remaining, received a pass from Ronaldinho and defined over the goalkeeper. The image of that happy boy above Dinho is a symbol of the time. That was the first of the 634 goals he scored in the 731 played until the fateful 2-8 with Bayern Munich. It is also the second with the most encounters, after Xavi, 767.
Goals and records : a synonym in the Argentine's career. He was seven times the top scorer in LaLiga and this last season he surpassed the record held by Telmo Zarra. At the Culé club, he first beat César Rodríguez (230) when he scored the 231 goal, and then the Filipino Paulino Alcántara (369) when he reached 370. Since then, he has increased by almost 300 goals plus the distance for any other player in the future .
That first season, 2004-05, Barcelona won La Liga and it was Lio's first title at the club. Then another 32 arrived. With the last conquest, LaLiga 2018-19, he beat Andrés Iniesta, who was left with 32.
In addition, six times he won the award for the best player in the world ((4 FIFA Ballon d'Or, 1 FIFA World Player and 1 The Best FIFA) and 6 times the Golden Boot, as the best scorer in the European leagues.
