By the numbers, Lionel Messi is European football’s best scorer ever
Goals make up only half of his value, but his scoring was more impactful than that of other greats
FOOTBALL’S MOST fruitful partnership has ended in tears. On August 8th a weeping Lionel Messi said he was leaving Barcelona, the club he joined when he was just 13. The Argentine forward has scored a record 474 goals in La Liga, Spain’s top league. His teams have won ten La Liga titles and four Europe-wide Champions League trophies.
This article appeared in the Graphic detail section of the print edition under the headline “Simply the best”
From the August 14th 2021 edition
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