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Lionel Messi was in a typically humble mood after beating Brazil legend Pele’s historic record on Tuesday night with his latest Barcelona strike.
The Argentina international scored the 644th goal of his extraordinary career in a 3-0 win over Real Valladolid in La Liga. Messi overtakes Pele as the player with the most goals for a single club.
𝗦𝗶𝘅! 𝗙𝗼𝗿𝘁𝘆! 𝗙𝗼𝘂𝗿! 🐐
Messi took to Instagram after the match to offer his thoughts on his latest achievement and admits it’s a landmark he never expected to reach when he first started out.
When I started playing football, I didn’t expect to break a record like this, especially since it’s Pelé. I want to thank everyone who has helped me all of these years, my teammates, my family, my friends, and everyone who has supported me.
The Barcelona captain put in a superb performance against Real Valladolid. He grabbed his first assist of the season by crossing for Clement Lenglet to open the scoring as well as sealing the win with Barca’s third of the night.
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Koeman Insists Messi is Happy
Messi does still have time to add more goals in a Barcelona shirt, although it’s still unclear whether he will stay at the Camp Nou past this season. His contract expires in the summer and he could walk away for free.
Coach Ronald Koeman spoke about the 33-year-old after the match and insisted once again that his captain is happy at Barcelona, as reported by Marca. The Dutchman explained, “I’ve said it a lot. I see Leo happy here. He’s very important for us with his creativity. You can see that when there are good players alongside him.”
Messi asked to leave last summer but it’s not clear if he’s changed his mind since then. The captain has spoken about his current situation in an interview which will be broadcast on December 27.
A trailer to the interview with La Sexta’s Jordi Evole has been leaked and offers some insight into Messi’s current mindset, as reported by Catalunya Radio.
I’m fine now. It’s true that in the summer I was doing very badly, because of the end of the season and for everything that happened, the burofax … I dragged this with me at first but now I feel like fighting for everything. I know the club is in a difficult time, at team and club level, but I’m looking forward to it.
Messi is once again Barcelona’s top scorer so far this season. Tuesday’s strike was his seventh in La Liga and his 10th in all competitions for the Catalan giants.
Messi Set For Brief Break
The Barcelona captain is now set for a brief break over Christmas. Messi and his family are expected to fly to Argentina straight after the game on a private plane, according to Marca.
Koeman has given his players some time off over the festive period. The squad is not due back for training until December 27. Barca’s next game is at home to Eibar at the Camp Nou on December 29.
Tuesday’s win means Barca head off on holiday in good spirits after returning to winning ways. The team remains eight points adrift of leaders Atletico Madrid but a comprehensive away win will help restore confidence.