FC Barcelona superstar Lionel Messi recently became the first player in recorded history to contribute to more than 1 000 goals, while his eternal rival Cristiano Ronaldo has contributed to fewer goals despite playing far more games.
The 32-year-old made LaLiga history this past Saturday when he struck four times against Eibar, and has now contributed to 1 002 strikes for club and country in 853 matches.
Messi, who has won the Ballon d'Or six times in his career, has contributed to 887 goals in 715 matches for Barcelona, and 115 strikes in 138 games for Argentina.
No player in football's record books has achieved this remarkable milestone, not even Messi's greatest rival Ronaldo, who, coincidentally, played in his 1 000th professional match on Sunday.
In those games, the five-time Ballon d'Or winner has contributed to 976 strikes in his career for club and country, but what does a breakdown of those contributions look like?
Sporting Lisbon B side – 2 matches
Sporting Lisbon – 31 matches (six goal contributions)
Manchester United – 292 matches (187 goal contributions)
Real Madrid – 438 matches (581 goal contributions)
Juventus – 73 matches (66 goal contributions)
Portugal – 164 caps (136 goal contributions)
To summarise, Messi is 26 goal contributions ahead of the Juventus forward, despite having played 147 matches less.
