Only a very small handful of players can lay claim to the right to be included in any debate regarding the greatest footballer of all time.
For years it was Pele and Diego Maradona who vied for the title of the best ever, while others including Alfredo Di Stefano, Johan Cruyff and Franz Beckenbauer were often blessed with a look-in.
More recently Zinedine Zidane and the Brazilian Ronaldo entered the conversation, but the current generation has thrown up arguably the two most worthy of challenging Pele and Maradona - Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.
The pair have been battling for supremacy for more than a decade and their respective greatness has spurred each other on to heights hitherto unheard of, breaking records almost at will along the way.
One of the most impressive of all those records saw Messi surpass legendary German striker Gerd Muller for most goals in a single season, netting his 68th of the 2011-12 campaign on this day eight years ago.
The Argentine maestro went on to net a frankly absurd tally of 73 for that season - a mark which looks unlikely to ever be beaten and one which was the peak of a career to which no amount of superlatives can do justice.
It is by no means the only remarkable record Messi boasts, though - indeed, he even holds the record for the most world football records held.
Here, to celebrate the eighth anniversary of surpassing Muller, Sports Mole provides a conclusive list of all the records held by the great Barcelona icon.
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World records
Most FIFA World Player of the Year/Best FIFA Men's Player Awards: 6 (2009–2012, 2015, 2019)
Most Ballons d'Or: 6 (2009–2012, 2015, 2019)
Most consecutive Ballons d'Or: 4 (2009–2012)
Youngest two-time, three-time, four-time, five-time and six-time Ballon d'Or winner: 23, 24, 25, 28 and 32 years old
Largest gap between first and last Ballon d'Or awards: 10 years (2009, 2019)
Guinness World Record as top goalscorer for club and country in a calendar year: 91 goals in 2012
This incredible tally included a record five in one Champions League game and the goal which saw him become Barcelona's leading all-time scorer.
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Most goals in a calendar year (including club friendlies): 96 goals in 2012
Top goalscorer in all club competitions in a calendar year: 79 goals in 2012
Top goalscorer in a club season: 73 goals in 2011–12
Longest goalscoring run in a domestic league: 21 matches, 33 goals in 2012–13
Only player to have won more than one FIFA Club World Cup Golden Ball
Only player to have won more than one FIFA Club World Cup Final Most Valuable Player award
Only player to score more than 40 goals in 10 consecutive seasons
Messi first passed the 40-goal barrier in 2009-10 and has never fallen below it for a single season since. He has gone past 50 goals six times, 60 goals twice and 70 once.
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Only player to score in 7 different official competitions in one calendar year: 2015 - in La Liga, the Copa del Rey, UEFA Champions League, Copa America, UEFA Super Cup, Spanish Super Cup and FIFA Club World Cup, completed on 20 December 2015
Only player to score in 6 different club competitions in a calendar year twice: 2011 and 2015
Only player to score and assist in 6 different club competitions in a calendar year: 2011
Only player to score 60+ goals in all competitions in 2 consecutive seasons: 2011–12 and 2012–13
First player ever to score consecutively against all teams in a professional league
Most appearances in the FIFPro World11: 13 times (2007–2019) - shared with Cristiano Ronaldo
Most (official) assists provided in football history: 306
Perhaps the record that puts him clear of his other GOAT rivals - not only is Messi one of the best goalscorers of all time, but he has also created more goals for his teammates than any other player since records began
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Most Man of the Match awards won in one FIFA World Cup: 4, in 2014
Only player to score in his teens, his twenties and his thirties in the history of the World Cup
Only player to provide at least one assist in 4 different World Cup tournaments
Only player to provide at least one assist in 5 different Copa America tournaments
Most dribbles completed at the World Cup finals: 110
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Continental records
Most European Golden Shoe awards: 6 (2010, 2012–2013, 2017–2019)
All-time top scorer in Europe's top 5 leagues: 438 goals
Fastest player ever to reach 300 goals in Europe's top 5 leagues: 334 games
Fastest player ever to reach 400 goals in Europe's top 5 leagues: 435 games
Most official goals scored for a single club in Europe: 627 goals
Messi is behind only Pele when it comes to the world record for most goals for a single club - the Argentina is currently 16 goals short of Pele's tally of 643 for Santos
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Most goals scored for a single club in the UEFA Champions League: 114 goals
Fastest player to reach 100 UEFA Champions League goals: 123 games
Most goals scored in a European Cup/Champions League game: 5 goals (shared with 13 other players)
Most goals scored in a European Cup/Champions League quarter-final game: 4 goals (shared with Sandor Kocsis and Alfredo Di Stefano)
Most hat-tricks scored in the UEFA Champions League: 8 (shared with Cristiano Ronaldo)
Most goals scored in the UEFA Champions League group stage: 68 goals
Most goals scored in the UEFA Champions League round of 16: 26 goals
Most individual teams scored against in the UEFA Champions League: 34
Most goals scored in a UEFA Champions League round of 16 tie: 6 goals
This tally came against Bayer Leverkusen in 2011-12 and includes another Champions League record of five in one game
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Top goalscorer in the UEFA Super Cup: 3 goals (tied with seven other players)
Most UEFA/UEFA.com Goal of the Season awards: 3 (2014–15, 2015–16, 2018–19)
First player to win the UEFA/UEFA.com Goal of the Season award for two consecutive seasons: 2014–15 and 2015–16
First player to score in 15 consecutive seasons of the UEFA Champions League
Youngest player to make 100 appearances in the UEFA Champions League: 28 years, 84 days in 2015
Youngest player to score 50 goals in the UEFA Champions League
Youngest player ever to score 400+ goals for a single European club: 27 years and 300 days
Youngest player to finish as UEFA Champions League top scorer: 21 years and 337 days
Most dribbles completed in a UEFA Champions League game: 16
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Top assist provider in Copa America: 12 assists
Most goals in CONMEBOL FIFA World Cup qualifiers: 21 (shared with Luis Suarez)
Most goals scored by a substitute in a Copa America match: 3
Most Man of the Match awards won in Copa America matches: 10
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Spanish records
Most Best Player in La Liga awards: 6 (2009–2013, 2015)
Most Best Forward in La Liga awards: 7 (2009–2013, 2015–2016)
Most La Liga Player of the Month awards: 7 (January 2016, April 2017, April 2018, September 2018, March 2019, November 2019, February 2020)
Most Pichichi Trophies: 6 (2010, 2012–2013, 2017–2019)
Messi shares this award - given to La Liga's top scorer - with Telmo Zarra, but is on course for a seventh this season
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Top goalscorer in La Liga history: 438 goals
Top assist provider in La Liga history: 181 assists
Top goalscorer in the Supercopa de Espana: 14 goals
Most Supercopa de Espana finals scored in: 7
Most goals in a La Liga season: 50 goals in 2011–12
Most braces scored in La Liga: 106
Most hat-tricks scored in La Liga: 36
Messi netted his 35th La Liga hat-trick against Mallorca in December, moving one ahead of Cristiano Ronaldo
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Most hat-tricks scored in a La Liga season: 8 in 2011–12 (shared with Cristiano Ronaldo)
Most teams scored against in a season: 19 in 2012–13 (shared with Ronaldo and Cristiano Ronaldo)
Most La Liga appearances by a foreign player: 474 matches
Only player to score consecutively against all opposition teams in La Liga: 19 matches, 30 goals in 2012–13
Most league home goals in a season (38 games, 19 home games): 35 (2011–12)
Most league away goals in a season (38 games, 19 away games): 24 (2012–13)
Most league matches scored in during a season (38 games): 27 (2012–13)
Most league home matches scored in during a season (38 games): 16 (2011–12)
Most league away matches scored in during a season (38 games): 15 (2012–13)
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Most opponents scored against in La Liga history: 37
Most consecutive away league matches scored in: 13 (20 goals from matchday 8 to matchday 33, season 2012–13)
Only player to be top goalscorers and top assist provider in more than one season: 2017–18, 2018–19
Most stadiums scored at: 36
First player to score in 15 and 16 consecutive seasons
Only player to score 20+ goals in 10 consecutive seasons
Only player to score 30+ goals in 7 different seasons
Only player to score 10+ goals in 13 and 14 consecutive seasons (from 2006–07 to 2019–20)
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First player to reach 300 La Liga goals
First player to reach 350 La Liga goals
First player to reach 400 La Liga goals
First player to reach 150 La Liga assists
Youngest player to score 200 goals in La Liga: 25 years and 7 months in January 2013
Most La Liga titles won by a non-Spanish individual: 10
Most La Liga victories: 354
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Most goals scored in La Liga in a calendar year: 59 goals in 2012
Most appearances in a Copa del Rey final: 9 (2009, 2011, 2012, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019) - shared with three other players
Most Copa del Rey finals scored in: 6 (2009, 2012, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2019)
Most assists provided in Copa del Rey finals: 6 (1 in 2009, 2 in 2016, 1 in 2017, 2 in 2018)
Most dribbles completed in a La Liga match: 15
Most dribbles completed in a Copa del Rey match: 23
Most goals scored from direct free kicks: 34
Most goals scored as coming on as a substitute in La Liga: 24
Despite being the first name on the Barcelona teamsheet for well over a decade, Messi has even managed to make his mark off the bench with the most goals as a substitute in La Liga history
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Argentine records
Argentina all-time top goalscorer: 70 goals
Most assists for Argentina: 38 assists
Top goalscorer for Argentina in a calendar year: 12 goals in 2012 (shared with Gabriel Batistuta)
Only Argentina player to score against every CONMEBOL nation
Youngest player to play for Argentina in a FIFA World Cup: 18 years, 357 days in 2006
Youngest player to score for Argentina in a FIFA World Cup: 18 years, 357 days in 2006
Youngest player to captain Argentina in a FIFA World Cup: 22 years and 363 days old in 2010
Youngest player to reach 100 caps for Argentina: 27 years, 361 days in 2015
Most goals scored in one FIFA World Cup qualification: 10 in the 2014 World Cup qualifiers
Most goals scored in all FIFA World Cup qualifications: 21
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Most goals scored in international friendlies: 34
Most direct free kick goals scored in all international competitions, including friendlies: 6
Most hat-tricks scored in all international competitions, including friendlies: 6
Most assists provided in all international competitions, including friendlies: 45
Most Man of the Match awards won in one FIFA World Cup: 4, in 2014
Most Man of the Match awards won in FIFA World Cup matches: 6
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Barcelona records
Top goalscorer in El Clasico: 26 goals
Most appearances in El Clasico: 43
Most hat-tricks in El Clasico: 2
Top goalscorer in Barcelona derby vs. Espanyol: 25 goals
Top goalscorer in the Athletic–Barcelona clasico: 24 goals
Top goalscorer in official competitions: 627 goals
Top goalscorer including friendlies: 662 goals
Top goalscorer in the UEFA Champions League: 114 goals
Top goalscorer in European competitions: 117 goals
Top goalscorer in international competitions: 122 goals
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Most hat-tricks scored in all competitions: 48
First player to be top goalscorer in four, five and six La Liga seasons: 2009–10, 2011–12, 2012–13, 2016–17, 2017–18, 2018–19
Most matches won with the team: 505
Most La Liga matches won by a Barcelona player: 354
Most home goals scored in one season in all competitions: 46 in 2011–12
Most goals scored from a free kick in official competitions: 46
Most goals scored in Joan Gamper Trophy: 9
Most home goals scored in club history in La Liga: 256
Most away goals scored in Barcelona history in La Liga: 182
Most goals scored coming on as a substitute in all competitions: 34
Most appearances in the Copa del Rey: 75 (shared with Josep Samitier)
Most trophies won as a Barcelona player: 34
