Messi Becomes Champions League's all-time top scorer; Breaks 2 Records in 3 days
Three days after breaking a Spanish league record of 1955, Barcelona forward Lionel Messi became Champions League's all-time top scorer by netting a hat-trick Tuesday against Apoel Nicosia, taking his tally in the competition to 74.
In the Group F game, Barcelona beat Apoel Nicosia 4-0. The Barca and Argentina captain surpassed the record of 71 set by former Real Madrid and Schalke striker Raul over a course of 142 matches.
"Messi is the best player of all time ... a player who will continue to surprise us for a long time to come," Barcelona coach Luis Enrique said, CBC reports.
Uruguay's controversial player Luis Suarez opened the scorebook for club, while Messi scored his first goal when he diverted Barcelona's Brazilian midfielder Rafinha's 38th-minute shot past the keeper. The 27-year-old player's second shot, with a low right-foot finish, that found the back of the net past the Apoel goalkeeper Urko Pardo, was in the 58th minute.
Messi rounded off the scoring with his third goal, with just three minutes remaining.
After the match, the elated footballer said: "I am happy for having achieved such a nice record in a competition of this importance. But the really relevant thing is that we took the three points. Barcelona played a great match," BBC reports.
What needs to be mentioned is that in a matter of four days, Messi broke two records. He thrashed the six decades-old La Liga record with a hat-trick in Barca's 5-1 home win over Sevilla Saturday.
Messi beat former Athletic Bilbao striker Telmo Zarra's record of 251 goals that was set in 1955. His tally now shows 253 in 289 league games for the Catalan club that he joined at age 13.
