In the legend. With a new title of top scorer in the Spanish league gleaned this Sunday, the fourth in a row, FC Barcelona superstar Lionel Messi (25 goals) overtook the legendary Telmo Zarra to become the only player in history to total 7 trophies of "Pichichi".
In the pantheon of La Liga: this 7th “Pichichi” title, confirmed this Sunday with a double in Barça's last Liga match in Alavés (5-0), placed Lionel Messi at the top of the ranking of the best scorers of the history of the Spanish championship, in front of the legendary ex-striker of Athletic Bilbao, Telmo Zarra and his six trophies.
“Rewards and personal goals are secondary. This could become an important record, because it could make 7 trophies (Editor's note: top scorer in Liga) . But I would have preferred that it come with a title in La Liga “, reacted the captain blaugrana at the end of his match in Alavés, this Sunday.
[📺 VIDEO SUMMARY] 🇪🇸 #LaLiga
🌟 For the last match of the season, Barça had fun against Alavés (0-5)
🔥 Messi healed his stats and now has 25 goals and 21 assists!
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With 25 goals on the clock in 2019-2020 after his three consecutive coronations since 2017, the Argentinian superstar once again dominated the ranking of the best finishers in La Liga, which has paid tribute since 1953 to the legendary Athletic Bilbao scorer Rafael "Pichichi" Moreno.
Messi finished first ahead of Real Madrid's French center-forward Karim Benzema (21 goals) and Villarreal striker Gerard Moreno (18 goals).
And he accompanied his season with a new La Liga best passer title, too, with 21 assists this season in the league. This allows him to remove from the list the record season of Thierry Henry, who had signed 24 goals and 20 assists in 2002-2003 at Arsenal. And to double, for the “assists”, his ex-teammate Xavi.
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The six-time Ballon d'Or (another record) started its season very strong, with 12 goals in its first 10 matches in the Spanish league. We remember in particular his two triplets against Celta Vigo (November 9) and against Mallorca (December 7) barely a month apart, and especially his nice quadruple against Eibar on February 22, for the "manita" of Barça (5-0).
No fourth Golden Shoe in sight
But the Pulga did not fly over the rankings with as much ease as in its last three consecutive titles, where it has each exceeded 30 goals in a La Liga season (36 in 2019, 34 in 2018, 37 in 2017). Messi in particular experienced a slight slump after the resumption of post-pandemic competition, with "only" 4 small goals in the last 10 matches, before Sunday.
However, this was enough to counter the comeback of Karim Benzema, author of a double Thursday against Villarreal (2-1) to offer the 34th coronation in Liga in its history at Real Madrid, but remained silent at the neighbor Leganés, Sunday night.
On the other hand, Messi will not glean a fourth Golden Shoe in a row (trophy rewarding the top scorer in the European championships), which should undoubtedly go to the Polish striker of Bayern Munich Robert Lewandowski (34 goals in the Bundesliga this season).
The trophy should even escape the double Messi-Cristiano Ronaldo for the second time only in more than ten years (Diego Forlan at Atlético in 2009, and Luis Suarez at Liverpool in 2014, tied with Ronaldo).