Lionel Messi made his 300th Liga appearance for FC Barcelona on Sunday against Levante UD and marked the occasion by scoring a hat-trick in a devastating 5-0 win.
The 27-year-old Argentina forward is the youngest ever Barça player to reach the milestone – overtaking Xavi Hernández, who reached 300 games aged 28 – while his 23rd league treble took him level with Cristiano Ronaldo as the Liga's all-time top
scorer of hat-tricks.
What is more, Messi's pass for Neymar's opening goal took him to 106 assists to head the Liga's all-time table, surpassing former Barcelona and Real Madrid CF man Luís Figo.
To celebrate Messi's 300 league games, UEFA.com looks at Messi's most memorable performances for the Blaugrana in the Liga, a competition he has won six times in ten attempts.
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FC Barcelona 2-0 Albacete Balompié, 1 May 2005
A 17-year-old Messi had to make do with just substitute appearances in his first season in Barcelona's senior team but he only needed three minutes to make his mark on this game at Albacete. He came off the bench to replace Samuel Eto'o in the 87th minute and instantly linked up with close friend and mentor Ronaldinho to send the ball into the net, only to have his effort ruled out for offside. However, in added time the Brazilian again played in the new kid on the block, who lobbed the goalkeeper with a stylish finish to become Barcelona's youngest scorer in the league and give the Camp Nou a taste of what was to come.
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FC Barcelona 3-3 Real Madrid CF, 10 March 2007
Although football fans were already aware of his potential by now, Messi truly announced himself to the world with this spell-binding display in a thrilling Clásico at Camp Nou. Then just 19 and sporting shaggy long hair, the youngster scored twice in the first half to cancel out Ruud van Nistelrooy's double. He then popped up again in added time to rescue a point for his side – who had been reduced to ten men at the end of the first half – with a sweeping run into the box and an arrowed finish into the far corner.
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Real Madrid CF 2-6 FC Barcelona, 2 May 2009
It was during this title-decider at the Bernabéu that Josep Guardiola first deployed Messi in the 'false nine' role, getting him to come in from the right wing and take up a deep-lying position in attack. Afforded plenty of room between Madrid's defensive and midfield lines, Messi dictated the play and also scored twice in a devastating attacking display by Barça that all but sealed the league title. Madrid's experienced centre-back pairing of Christoph Metzelder and Fabio Cannavaro were at a loss as to how to deal with the player unleashed in a new role, as the German later recalled: "Fabio and I looked at each other. 'What do we do? Do we follow him to the midfield or stay deep?' We didn't have a clue."
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FC Barcelona 5-1 Valencia CF, 19 February 2012
The visitors took a surprise early lead at the Camp Nou, but Messi emphatically turned the game on its head. He equalised from the tightest of angles, then showed his striker's instinct to put Barça in charge and then scored twice again in the second half, his fourth a sumptuous chip over hapless goalkeeper Diego Alves. His dominant display brought praise from the club's then vice-president Josep María Bartomeu after the game. "Messi is a player that was destined to make history, he is constantly creating new challenges for himself, and he will go home very happy with his four goals."
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FC Barcelona 5-1 Sevilla FC, 22 November 2014
Messi had waited for over a month to reach the late Athletic Club striker Telmo Zarra's record of 257 Liga goals, but equalled and then broke it in the same afternoon with a hat-trick to remember against Sevilla. Messi got the ball rolling by curling in a free-kick to draw level with Zarra, and then finished off a fine move between himself and Neymar to score the record goal, and his team-mates celebrated the occasion by carrying the little Argentine on their shoulders. But even with another place in the history books sealed, Messi was still intent on scoring again, and hit a third goal late on from outside the area.
The 27-year-old Argentina forward is the youngest ever Barça player to reach the milestone – overtaking Xavi Hernández, who reached 300 games aged 28 – while his 23rd league treble took him level with Cristiano Ronaldo as the Liga's all-time top
scorer of hat-tricks.
What is more, Messi's pass for Neymar's opening goal took him to 106 assists to head the Liga's all-time table, surpassing former Barcelona and Real Madrid CF man Luís Figo.
To celebrate Messi's 300 league games, UEFA.com looks at Messi's most memorable performances for the Blaugrana in the Liga, a competition he has won six times in ten attempts.
©Getty Images A 17-year-old Messi had to make do with just substitute appearances in his first season in Barcelona's senior team but he only needed three minutes to make his mark on this game at Albacete. He came off the bench to replace Samuel Eto'o in the 87th minute and instantly linked up with close friend and mentor Ronaldinho to send the ball into the net, only to have his effort ruled out for offside. However, in added time the Brazilian again played in the new kid on the block, who lobbed the goalkeeper with a stylish finish to become Barcelona's youngest scorer in the league and give the Camp Nou a taste of what was to come.
©Getty Images Although football fans were already aware of his potential by now, Messi truly announced himself to the world with this spell-binding display in a thrilling Clásico at Camp Nou. Then just 19 and sporting shaggy long hair, the youngster scored twice in the first half to cancel out Ruud van Nistelrooy's double. He then popped up again in added time to rescue a point for his side – who had been reduced to ten men at the end of the first half – with a sweeping run into the box and an arrowed finish into the far corner.
©Getty Images It was during this title-decider at the Bernabéu that Josep Guardiola first deployed Messi in the 'false nine' role, getting him to come in from the right wing and take up a deep-lying position in attack. Afforded plenty of room between Madrid's defensive and midfield lines, Messi dictated the play and also scored twice in a devastating attacking display by Barça that all but sealed the league title. Madrid's experienced centre-back pairing of Christoph Metzelder and Fabio Cannavaro were at a loss as to how to deal with the player unleashed in a new role, as the German later recalled: "Fabio and I looked at each other. 'What do we do? Do we follow him to the midfield or stay deep?' We didn't have a clue."
©Getty Images The visitors took a surprise early lead at the Camp Nou, but Messi emphatically turned the game on its head. He equalised from the tightest of angles, then showed his striker's instinct to put Barça in charge and then scored twice again in the second half, his fourth a sumptuous chip over hapless goalkeeper Diego Alves. His dominant display brought praise from the club's then vice-president Josep María Bartomeu after the game. "Messi is a player that was destined to make history, he is constantly creating new challenges for himself, and he will go home very happy with his four goals."
©AFP/Getty Images Messi had waited for over a month to reach the late Athletic Club striker Telmo Zarra's record of 257 Liga goals, but equalled and then broke it in the same afternoon with a hat-trick to remember against Sevilla. Messi got the ball rolling by curling in a free-kick to draw level with Zarra, and then finished off a fine move between himself and Neymar to score the record goal, and his team-mates celebrated the occasion by carrying the little Argentine on their shoulders. But even with another place in the history books sealed, Messi was still intent on scoring again, and hit a third goal late on from outside the area.
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