Lionel Messi breaks Pele's all-time goal record; eyes Cristiano Ronaldo's tally
By Team Newsable | First Published Dec 8, 2021, 9:51 AM ISTLionel Messi surpassed the legendary Brazilian Pele's all-time record of 757 goals by netting twice for Paris Saint-Germain against Club Brugge in their UEFA Champions League clash on Tuesday.
7-time Ballon d'Or winner Lionel Messi has added another feather to his cap. The Paris Saint-Germain striker surpassed the legendary Brazilian Pele's all-time goal record by netting twice for the French giants against Club Brugge in their UEFA Champions League clash on Tuesday (December 7). The former Barcelona legend scored the third and fourth goals for PSG, leading Mauricio Pochettino's side to a 4-1 victory. Kylian Mbappe scored a double as well in the home win.
The first night of the goal for Messi was his 757th career goal, which took him to level Pele's official tally before he netted a second-half penalty to take him up to 758. The Brazilian great officially scored 757 goals in 812 games across his career. This tally now takes The Argentine superstar to the 2nd spot in the list of most career goals in professional football, trailing behind Manchester United forward Cristiano Ronaldo - who has scored 801 goals so far.
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During Manchester United's Premier League clash against arch-rivals Arsenal, Cristiano Ronaldo scored his 800th and 801st goals. Ronaldo has netted 686 club career goals, and the rest have been for Portugal at the international level - a record in itself. In his club career, the 36-year-old has scored 450 goals for Real Madrid, 130 for Manchester United, 101 for Juventus and 5 for Sporting Lisbon.
Messi scored a club record of 672 goals for Barcelona before moving to Paris Saint-Germain earlier this year. The 34-year-old has netted six goals in 14 appearances for PSG, alongside his 80 goals for Argentina at the international level. This year, Messi also broke O Rei's record for the most international goals scored by a South American player during the summer this year. The Argentina superstar also silenced critics when he lifted the Copa America, which played a crucial role in helping him bag his 7th Ballon d'Or win on November 29.
Also read: Ballon d'Or for Alexia Putellas: Barcelona's next legend in the making after Lionel Messi
Despite this win, PSG finished the group stage as runners-up, with Manchester City on top. On Tuesday night, the Pep Guardiola side lost 2-1 at RB Leipzig and finished Group A standings with 12 points, one ahead of PSG. German side RB Leipzig took the Europa League spot with seven points, while Club Brugge bowed out of the European competition. Meanwhile, Kylian Mbappe became the youngest player to reach 30 goals in the Champions League less than two weeks before his 23rd birthday.
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