This special article on Lionel Messi’s scoring exploits at Barclona is a courtesy of the BBC.
A diminutive, floppy haired teenager collects a pass from Brazil superstar Ronaldinho to coolly chip in his first goal for Barcelona.
Ten years on, that same man has scored 402 more goals for the Spanish club, becoming the record scorer in their illustrious 115-year history.
Few inside the Nou Camp on 1 May 2005 – when Barcelona beat Albacete 2-0 – would have realised they were seeing the beginning of a legend.
But that is what Lionel Messi, now 27, has become. Here BBC Sport takes a statistical look at the Argentine’s record-breaking scoring feats since that debut goal.
1 May 2005: A star is born as a fresh-faced Messi, aged 17 years, 10 months and seven days, announces himself by collecting Ronaldinho’s pass to net his first La Liga goal
10 March 2007: The boy becomes a man as Messi, aged 19, delivers his first La Liga hat-trick… against Real Madrid
5 May 2012: Messi writes his name into La Liga’s record books by becoming the first player to score 50 times in a single league season after netting four against Espanyol
27 January 2013: Messi celebrates with team-mates Xavi Hernandez (left) and Carles Puyol after scoring four against Osasuna to pass the 200-goal mark in La Liga
30 March 2013: The man who cannot stop scoring… Messi finds the net for the 19th consecutive La Liga game, against Celta Vigo
Champagne moments: Messi has won six La Liga titles at Barcelona since making his debut in 2004, scoring a combined total of 141 goals in those triumphant campaigns
22 November 2014: Lionel Messi levels, breaks and extends La Liga’s scoring record with a hat-trick against Sevilla
18 April 2015: Quadruple century – Messi nets against Valencia to bring up the 400 mark
Messi’s records |
|
|---|---|
| La Liga top scorer: 281 | Barcelona’s top goalscorer: 403 |
| Champions League top scorer:75 | Most goals in a La Liga season: 50 |
| Most goals in a season: 73 | Most consecutive La Liga matches scored in: 21 |
| Most world footballer of the year awards: 4 | Most goals in a single European Cup game: 5 (joint with Luiz Adriano) |
| Most European Cup top scorer awards: 4 (with Gerd Muller) | Most goals in Barcelona v Real Madrid matches: 21 |
| Most La Liga hat-tricks in a season: 8 | Most goals in Club World Cup: 4 (held jointly with Denilson) |
| Most goals in a calendar year: 91 | |
