Another week, another landmark for Lionel Messi as the Argentina superstar scored his 800th career goal in Thursday's friendly against Panama.
It's been an almighty journey for the all-time great, who has basically won everything on offer and claimed a record haul of seven Ballons d'Or along the way.
The player regarded by many as the greatest ever, Messi reached his latest milestone with a picture-perfect free kick in the 89th minute against Panama, curling one into the top corner after crashing two prior free kicks into the crossbar.
Although Messi hits new landmarks so frequently, at the age of 35 he is approaching a point where such achievements will become a little rarer.
With that in mind, it's worth celebrating Messi and his feats while we still can – therefore, Stats Perform has delved into the Opta data behind his latest accomplishment.
On the receiving end
It's nearly 18 years since Messi's first goal in professional football. Then a floppy-haired 17-year-old, he latched on to a Ronaldinho pass before lifting a clever lob over Albacete goalkeeper Raul Valbuena on May 1, 2005.
That goal has since become famous given its significance in marking the arrival of Messi – it also left a mark on the career of Valbuena.
"The press calls me every time he's broken a record or achieved something important, especially press from Catalonia," he told Marca nine years later. "To me, it's a funny anecdote in my career as a goalkeeper."
Well, it's all right for some. Many goalkeepers have had to contend with Messi smashing past them a few more times than Valbuena's single concession.
In total, 232 goalkeepers had let in a goal against Messi before Thursday. No one conceded more than Diego Alves, however, with the Brazilian beaten 21 times. Iker Casillas is a close second (19).
Returning the favour
Of course, over his career Messi has also become synonymous with creativity, routinely setting up goals for his team-mates.
But, given how many he's scored, he's also had to benefit from plenty of service from his colleagues as well – when he's not doing it all himself.
There are several players with whom he's struck up particularly effective on-pitch relationships.
For years, his combination with Dani Alves was unrivalled, the Brazilian setting up 42 of Messi's goals, but then along came Luis Suarez.
Suarez, Messi and Neymar were a revered and feared front three, their understanding on the pitch so deadly. The Uruguayan ended up assisting 47 goals for Messi across their six years together, with no one else teeing him up more often.
Messi also has his favourite clubs to score against. Impressively, Real Madrid (26) are right up there – but there are four teams he has punished more.
Athletic Bilbao (29), Valencia (31) and Atletico Madrid (32) all struggled against him, but if there has been one team who have resembled lambs to the slaughter when facing Messi, it's Sevilla (38).
Heights few have reached
The world of football numbers can be a little muddy. What constitutes an official goal? What's an official competition?
As such, there has been lots of confusion regarding the 'official' goals hauls of players down the years – we're looking at you, Pele and Romario.
The International Federation of Football History and Statistics (IFFHS) considers Cristiano Ronaldo to be the world record holder, stating in December 2021 that the Portugal forward was the first player to reach 800 official career goals.
This makes Messi the second to reach that figure, with Opta corroborating his career record. There remains a possibility he will eventually reach 1,000. No one is expecting him to get there soon, though.
After all, as good as he remains, achievements like scoring 91 times in a calendar year – as he managed in 2012 – appear to be beyond him these days.
That was his best ever year, which – perhaps unsurprisingly – coincided with his most prolific season (2011-12), when he scored 82 goals.
Still, the 35 goals he plundered in 2022 wasn't a bad return, especially given that haul included seven en route to World Cup success with Argentina.
Still to come?
There aren't many records at Barcelona that don't already belong to Messi. Top scorer? Done. Most appearances? Completed it. The most-photographed person at Camp Nou? Probably.
It seems unlikely Messi will be around at PSG long enough to have the same kind of impact there, but he certainly still has career targets in sight.
There's the aforementioned 1,000 goals landmark, though before then he will have his eyes on more international achievements.
Messi's free kick to seal Thursday's 2-0 win left him just one from reaching 100 with Argentina, and after that he'll perhaps have designs on usurping both Ali Daei (109) and Ronaldo (120), the two highest-scoring players in men's international football.
Similarly, with Ronaldo now out of the way in Saudi Arabia, Messi could also take his record for the most Champions League goals (140) – Messi is on 129.
But regardless of what else he does or doesn't go on to achieve, Thursday's milestone is just another reminder of how fortunate we've been to witness Messi's truly remarkable career.
Chicago Fire v Atlanta United: ‘Think like champions’ urges Giakoumakis
Atlanta United must “think like champions” if they are to correct their form, says striker Giorgos Giakoumakis.
The Five Stripes face the Chicago Fire this weekend, as they look to return to winning ways after three games without a victory.
Indeed, they lost to FC Cincinnati last time out, and Giakoumakis believes Atlanta must correct a mentality issue.
“One simple thing I can tell you is that we have to stay concentrated,” said Giakoumakis.
“Think like champions, because you cannot drop this amount of points when you are leading a game.”
Atlanta are seventh in the Eastern Conference, six places and two points better off than the Fire, who have lost two of their last four games.
“Number one, there are no easy matches in MLS,” said Atlanta coach Gonzalo Pineda. “It is always difficult to play in that stadium; sometimes it can be windy. They have very good players, and they have a very good coaching staff that prepares them to compete at the highest level.
“The process we have, we expect it to translate to three points. At times, you have to create certain situations on the field to spark a reaction, and some toughness or some resilience.
“That will bring more discussions and more accountability… as much as it hurt me and my coaching staff (losing five points), you can see it hurt them. They were not happy with that, and that is why I think they will have a good response against Chicago.”
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Chicago Fire – Brian Gutierrez
Gutierrez is the Fire’s leading scorer this season, with three goals, which have come from five shots on target.
Atlanta United – Giorgos Giakoumakis
Giakoumakis has scored four goals in three career matches against Chicago, scoring at least once in each match. Four players have scored in their first four regular-season matches against the Fire, including just one, Cory Burke (five straight from 2018-21), since 2011.
MATCH PREDICTION: DRAW
Atlanta have won only four of their last 39 away matches in all competitions (D14 L21) dating back to early April 2022. The Five Stripes are winless in their last nine away from home (D4 L5).
Chicago’s 4-0 loss to Real Salt Lake last week equalled the largest margin of defeat in a home match in club history (4th time in all competitions). The Fire have lost six of their last 10 home matches in all competitions (W3 D1) after losing two of their previous 17 at home.
The home side is unbeaten in the last 11 meetings between the Fire and Atlanta United (W9 D2). In fact, the only road win in the 14 regular-season meetings was a 2-1 victory for Atlanta in Chicago in 2018.
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
Chicago Fire – 37.9%
Atlanta United – 33.3%
Draw – 28.8%
New York Red Bulls v Vancouver Whitecaps: Facing Eastern Conference teams ‘like going to the casino’
Vanni Sartini is anticipating a tight encounter when his Vancouver Whitecaps team face the New York Red Bulls.
Vancouver have enjoyed a fine start to the MLS season and sit second in the Western Conference.
The Red Bulls, meanwhile, are in second place in the East.
This game will be the first meeting of the teams since 2019, and Sartini joked that facing sides from a different Conference is akin to a trip to a casino.
He said: “It’s going to be hard. It’s like going to the casino when you play the Eastern teams – you never know!
“Maybe you’ll face the team in last, the team that’s in first place. Unfortunately this season we’re going to play the Red Bulls, who are doing very well.”
Explaining what he expects to see from the Red Bulls, Sartini added: “They’re a team with a very distinct and particular style of play, like we have, to be honest.
“We need to be very intense, because that’s what they are, they are very intense in pressing, counter-pressing, counter-attacks and we need to be very well organised. It’s a game that will be decided in the second half, it’s going to be tight until the end – that’s what I feel.”
PLAYERS TO WATCH
New York Red Bulls – Lewis Morgan
Morgan is enjoying a fine campaign, and he leads the Red Bulls’ scoring efforts with six goals in MLS.
Vancouver Whitecaps – Brian White
White joined the ‘Caps from the Red Bulls in 2021. He has scored four goals in MLS this season, making him Vancouver’s leading scorer.
MATCH PREDICTION: NEW YORK RED BULLS WIN
Ryan Gauld and White have each contributed to at least one goal in their last five MLS appearances, equalling the longest streak in Whitecaps’ history. Prior to them, only three players in team history had recorded a goal contribution in five straight matches.
With 16 points through eight matches, the Whitecaps are off to the joint-best eight-match start in club history (also 2015). Vancouver have never had more than 17 points (2012) after nine matches of a season before.
The Red Bulls have lost only one of their first nine matches this season (W4 D4), the second time in club history they have had fewer than two losses at this stage of a season, along with their Supporters’ Shield winning 2015 campaign (also W4 D4 L1).
Six of the 12 all-time meetings between the Red Bulls and Whitecaps have been drawn (Whitecaps W4, Red Bulls W2), but New York are anticipated to win this one.
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
NYRB – 48.9%
Vancouver Whitecaps – 23.3%
Draw – 27.8%
Brazil legend Marta to retire from international football
Brazil star Marta has announced she will retire from international football at the end of 2024.
The 38-year-old is the all-time highest scorer for Brazil, netting 116 goals in 175 matches for the national team.
She is also the top-scorer in the Women’s World Cup with 17 goals, finishing as a runner-up in 2007 when Brazil lost in the final to Germany.
The forward has won three Copa America Femenina titles and was part of the Brazil team that won silver medals at the 2004 and 2008 Olympics.
Marta could make her sixth appearance for Brazil at this year's Games if she is selected in the squad at the Paris 2024 Olympics.
"If I go to the Olympics, I will enjoy every moment, because, regardless of whether I go to the Olympics or not, this is my last year with the national team," Marta told CNN in an interview on Thursday.
"There will be no more Marta from 2025 in the national team as an athlete.
"I am very calm about this because I see with great optimism this development that we are having in relation to young athletes."
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