Messi scores 4 goals to celebrate his 200th game

Messi scored four of Barça’s five goals against Valencia on the day he played his 200th game for FC Barcelona. It’s the second time the Argentine has scored four goals in a match. The first time was against Arsenal in the Champions League (April 6, 2010).

Lionel Messi gifted the 74,240 Camp Nou spectators with 4 goals on the day played his 200th game for FC Barcelona. When it looked like Messi would close out the match after scoring his 15th hat-trick for Barça, he subtly chipped Diego Alves for his fourth after Sergio Busquets brilliantly assisted the Argentine. It was Barça’s, and his, fourth goal - which keeps him in the running for the Pichichi award. Messi has scored 27 goals in the Liga so far, Cristiano Ronaldo has 28.

This isn’t the first time that Messi has bagged four goals. The first time was also at the Camp Nou, but in the Champions League against Arsenal. The Argentine fired four past the Arsenal keeper in the 2009/10 quarterfinal. The last Barça player to score four goals in the Liga was Samuel Eto’o, on Nov. 8 2008, in the game against Valladolid.

Messi has played 3,421 minutes so far in all competitions this season, which is about 39 games (almost as many games that are played in the Liga). In this time, Messi has scored 44 goals - 27 in the Liga, 2 in the Cup, 7 in the Champions League, 3 in the Spanish Super Cup, 1 in the European Super Cup and 2 in the Club World Cup. In total, the Argentine scores 1.15 goals per game.

In his 200 Liga games, Messi has 146 goals. An incredible statistic for a player that is only 24. He’s the youngest Barça player to each the bicentennial mark, and the 12th youngest to do it in Spain’s top flight. (via FCBarcelona.com)