Lionel Messi has won it all. His career isn’t just defined by goals or assists but by the sheer weight of silverware and individual recognition that has followed him across continents. Here’s the definitive list of every record Messi currently holds.
Awards and honours
- Most Ballon d’Or awards – 8.
- Most consecutive Ballon d’Or awards – 4.
- Most European Golden Shoe awards – 6.
- Most consecutive European Golden Shoe awards – 3.
- Only PSG player to win FIFA Best Award.
- The first Barcelona player to win multiple European Golden Shoe awards.
- Only player to win the FIFA’s Player of the Year award in three different decades – 2000s, 2010s, 2020s.
- Only player to win the Ballon d’Or award in three different decades – 2000s, 2010s, 2020s.
- Youngest player to win the Ballon d’Or 2 times, 3 times, 4 times, 5 times, 6 times, 7 and 8 times – 23, 24, 25, 28, 32, 34 and 36 years old.
- Most appearances in the top 3 for the Ballon d’Or – 14 times.
- Largest age gap between first and last Ballon d’Or awards – 14 years.
- Most official top level team trophies won – 46.
- Most goals in club competitions in a calendar year – 79.
- Most consecutive league games scored in – 21.
- Most goals in a single league – 474 (La Liga).
- Most official senior goals scored for a single club – 672 goals (Barcelona)
- Only player to ever score against all teams consecutively in a professional league.
- Most appearances in the FIFPro World XI – 17 times.
- Only footballer to win the Laureus Sportsman Of The Year award.
- Most Best Player awards at major tournaments – 4.
- Most individual awards at major tournaments – 6.
- Only player to win the Best Player, Golden Boot, most MOTMs and win the trophy at a major international tournament.
Club football records
Barcelona
- Most free kicks scored for Barcelona – 50.
- Most hat-tricks scored for Barcelona – 48.
- All-time top scorer for Barcelona (official) – 672.
- All-time top scorer for Barcelona (incl. friendlies) – 710.
- All-time top scorer for Barcelona in UCL – 120.
- All-time top scorer for Barcelona in European competitions – 123.
- All-time top scorer for Barcelona in International competitions – 128.
- Most matches won with Barcelona – 501.
- Most trophies won by a Barcelona player – 35.
- Most goals scored for Barcelona as a substitute – 34.
- Most goals in a UCL season for Barcelona – 14 (2011/12).
- Most UCL trophies with Barcelona – 4 (shared with Xavi & Iniesta).
Inter Miami
- All-time top scorer – 61.
- Fewest games to 10 goals in all competitions – 7.
- Only Inter Miami player to win FIFA Best Award.
- Only Inter Miami player to win Ballon d’Or.
League records
European
- Most league top scorer awards in Europe’s Top 5 Leagues – 8.
- Most consecutive league top scorer awards in Europe’s Top 5 Leagues – 5 (shared with Jean-Pierre Papin).
- Only player to score 20+ goals in 13 straight seasons in Europe’s Top 5 Leagues.
- Only player to score 30+ goals in 9 different seasons in Europe’s Top 5 Leagues.
- Most league goals in Europe’s Top 5 Leagues – 496.
- Fewest games to 300 league goals in Top 5 Leagues – 334.
- Fewest games to 400 league goals in Top 5 Leagues – 435.
- Most league goals in a single season in Top 5 Leagues – 50 (2011/12).
- Most league goals in a calendar year in Top 5 Leagues – 59 (2012).
- Most assists in a league season in Top 5 Leagues – 21 (2019/20 shared with Thomas Müller).
La Liga
- Most hat-tricks in La Liga: 36.
- Most free-kick goals in La Liga: 39.
- Most Pichichi trophies: 8.
- All-time top scorer: 474.
- All-time most assists: 192.
- Most home goals: 277.
- Most away goals: 197.
- Most assists in a single season: 21 (2019/20).
- Only player with 20+ goals and 20+ assists in one season (2019/20).
- Most hat-tricks in a season: 8 (2011/12, shared with Cristiano Ronaldo).
- Most home goals in a season: 35 (2011/12).
- Most away goals in a season: 24 (2012/13).
- Most matches scored in during one season: 27 (2012/13, shared with Cristiano Ronaldo).
- Most different clubs scored against in La Liga history: 37.
- Most different clubs scored against in a single season: 19 (shared with Cristiano Ronaldo).
- Only player to finish top scorer + top assist provider in La Liga more than once: 3 times.
- Only player to score 40+ in 2 consecutive seasons (shared with Cristiano Ronaldo).
- Only player to score 40+ in 3 different La Liga seasons.
- Only player to score 30+ in 8 and 9 different La Liga seasons.
- Only player to score 25+ in 10, 11 and 12 consecutive La Liga seasons.
- Only player to score 20+ in 10, 11, 12, 13 consecutive La Liga seasons.
- Only player to score 10+ in 15 straight La Liga seasons.
- First to 300, 350, 400 La Liga goals.
- First to 150 La Liga assists.
- Best goalscoring ratio in a La Liga season: 1.44 goals per game (2012/13, 46 in 32).
Ligue 1
- Most Ligue 1 assists in a calendar year: 20 (2022).
MLS
- Most assists in a single MLS match: 5.
International records
Argentina
- All-time top scorer – 114.
- All-time most assists – 58.
- All-time most free kicks – 11.
- All-time most hat-tricks – 10.
- Most international hat-tricks – 10 (Shared with Cristiano Ronaldo).
- Most goals in competitive fixtures – 63.
- Most in a calendar year – 18 (2022).
- Only player to score vs every CONMEBOL nation.
- All-time most caps – 194.
- Most goals at major international tournaments – 27.
- Most assists at major international tournaments – 26.
- Most goal contributions at major international tournaments – 53.
- Most MOTM awards at major international tournaments – 26.
Americas / CONMEBOL
- Most international goals by a South American – 114.
- Most international caps by a South American – 194.
- Most goals in CONMEBOL WC qualifiers – 36.
- Most matches scored in during WC qualifiers – 24.
- Youngest to 100 caps in CONMEBOL – 27y 361d.
World Cup Records
- Most goals for Argentina – 13.
- Most assists for Argentina – 8 (shared with Maradona).
- Most goal contributions in tournaments – 21.
- Most appearances – 26.
- Most appearances as captain – 19.
- Most minutes – 2314.
- First player to score in all five rounds of the tournament.
- Most World Cup matches scored in – 11 (shared with Miroslav Klose).
- Most MOTM awards – 11.
- Most MOTM awards at a single tournament – 5.
- Only player to win MOTM in every round of the World Cup.
- First Argentine to score in 5 and 6 different WC matches in a single tournament.
- First Argentine to score in 3 and 4 different WC knockout matches in one tournament.
- Youngest Argentine to play at a WC – 18y 357d.
- Youngest Argentine to score at a WC – 18y 357d.
- Youngest Argentine captain at a WC – 22y 363d.
- Most goals in one WC qualifying campaign – 10 (2014).
- Only player to win the World Cup Golden Ball twice.
- Oldest player to win the World Cup Golden Ball.
- Most opening goals at the World Cup – 8.
- Only player to score at the World Cup in his teens, twenties and thirties.
- Oldest player to score 5, 6 and 7 goals.
- Youngest and oldest player to get a goal and assist in a single match.
- Biggest gap between first and last World Cup goal – 16 years, 6 months, 3 days.
- Only player to make at least 1 assist in 4 and 5 tournaments.
Champions League records
- All-time top scorer in UCL for Barcelona – 120.
- Most UCL trophies won with Barcelona – 4.
Copa America Records
- Most matches – 39.
- Most assists – 18.
- Most free-kick goals – 4.
- Most goals as a sub in a match – 3.
- Most MOTMs – 14.
- Most MOTMs in one tournament – 4 (2021).
- Only player with 10+ goals and 10+ assists in history.
Club World Cup records
- Most goals in CWC finals – 4 (shared with Cristiano Ronaldo).
- Only player to score at 4 CWCs.
- Most CWC Golden Balls – 2.
Quite the list – expect to see records continue to tumble as the Little Magician continues to pull the strings for both Inter Miami and Argentina. Are these records enough to secure GOAT status for Messi – or does his old rival Ronaldo pip him to the post?
