Barcelona striker Lionel Messi achieved another milestone in his scintillating career on Sunday after he created a record for goals netted in an entire calendar year of 86 with a La Liga double at Real Betis, surpassing Gerd Mueller's 40-year-old record of 85 goals.
The talented 25-year-old World Player of the Year matched with his first goal of the night in Seville after he took the ball towards a central position during the 16th minute and left the Betis defence standing before directing a predetermined shot past the goalpost from the bottom right corner. Andres Iniesta's intelligent back work toned the Argentine player up to come back nine minutes later with a superb shot from a perfect position only inside the penalty region that flew into the similar corner of the goal.
"I always say the same, it's nice for what it means but the victory is more important as it maintains our lead over the other teams," a conventionally modest Messi reacted during the post-match conference with Spanish TV broadcaster Canal Plus. "My goal when the year began was to try to achieve everything again, with the team, in the league, the (King's) Cup, the Champions League," he added. "I always start with that idea in mind."
Regarded as one of the favourites to receive a fourth successive World Player award when the winner will be declared next month, Messi has scored goals for Barcelona and 12 for Argentina in 2012, breezing past Mueller's total for Bayern Munich and Germany in 1972. He has netted 56 times in La Liga, 13 during the Champions League, three times in the King's Cup and two in the Spanish Super Cup and even has two league matches and one King's Cup game to include in his kitty prior to the end of 2012.
Mueller, also referred to as the "torpedo" in contrast to Messi's nick as "the flea", scored 72 for Bayern and 13 for Germany in 1972 and was 27 when he created the record. The duo have very contrasting playing mannerisms, with the left-footed Argentine netting several of his goals after standard weaving runs, while Mueller was regarded as a poacher inside the box. After being questioned about the World Player award, Messi reacted by saying he would be happy for his Barcelona mate Andres Iniesta to win, one of three players to have been nominated besides Messi and Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo who won it in 2008.
"Obviously if he (Iniesta) wins it's fully deserved for what he has achieved and what he is as a player, what he does every match," Messi informed Canal Plus. "If he wins it would also be a good thing, it's an award for the entire dressing room." Messi's double take over Betis increased his tally in 15 La Liga matches this season to 23 and he became Barcelona's all-time top league scorer on 192 goals, two more than Cesar Rodriguez.
Representing his home team Argentina besides playing for Barcelona is something like a dream come true for Messi.
