As of February 1, Lionel Messi has broken Cristiano Ronaldo’s record for most goals scored in Europe’s top five leagues. The Argentine achieved this by scoring the second goal for the Paris Saint-Germain Football Club (PSG) in their 3-1 league victory over Montpellier.
Messi’s Accomplishments with PSG
It was Messi’s 697th goal in the top five European leagues, surpassing Ronaldo’s tally of 696 goals in 84n fewer games. The player is now just four short of his rival’s tally of 701 all-time club goals. However, Ronaldo has yet to score for his new club Al-Nassr in a competitive encounter, so there is still a chance for the Portuguese footballer to surpass the score.
The rivalry between Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi is well-known in the soccer community and is considered one of the major highlights of the last decade. The last time the two were seen on the field together was in the Saudi All-star XI(Saudi All-Stars) and Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) in January. Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) won 5-4.
So far, Messi has scored 14 goals for PSG across competitions this season. He also provided 14 assists for the Parisians in 23 overall appearances this term. Following the match against Montpellier, the club now has a five-point advantage over second-placed Marseille in the league table after 21 games.
Messi Hints at Retirement
Before the match, it was reported that Messi hinted toward a possible retirement. “It’s at the end of my career, closing a cycle,” the Argentine footballer said in an interview.
“I achieved everything with the national team I always dreamed of. I got everything in my career, individually. It was about uniquely closing my career. I never imagined that all this would happen to me when I started, and getting to this moment was the best. I have no complaints, and I can’t ask for more. We won the Copa America [in 2021] and the World Cup; there’s nothing left,”
He added, “I would have liked Diego to give me the cup, or at least to see all this, to see Argentina as world champions, with everything he wanted and how he loved the national team. I think from above, he – like many people who love me – was strong.”
Nothing else has been reported on the statement. At this time, Messi will remain on PSG’s quest to win the elusive UEFA Champions League trophy.
PSG’s next match will be against the Toulouse Football Club on February 5 for the Ligue 1. The last time the two played against each other in the competition was in September 2022, and PSG won 3-0.
The team is number one in the Ligue 1 standings with 16 wins from 21 matches and 51 points. They are also the current defending champion.
Ligue 1 is a French professional league for men’s association football clubs, and the final match will happen on June 3. Other than the Ligue 1, PSG is playing for the French Cup and will have their next game on February 9 against Marseille.
