Lionel Messi celebrated earning his latest record, surpassing Pele‘s goal tally for a single club thanks to his 644th goal for Barcelona at Real Valladolid, with a post on Instagram as noted by Mundo Deportivo.
The Argentine uploaded an image intertwining a picture of him as a youth with a more recent photograph, writing that “when I started playing soccer I never thought I would break any record, even less the one I achieved today to surpass Pele.
“I can only thank everyone who helped me over the years – my teammates, my family, my friends and everyone who supports me every day.”
It’s not the first record to his name. Messi holds a remarkable 80 Guinness World Records, overcoming Gerd Muller‘s calendar year total of 85 from 1972 with 91 in 2012.
Pele hit 643 across 19 seasons with Brazilian side Santos while Messi is in his 17th season as a Barcelona player. The Argentine is La Liga’s all-time top scorer and has won the Pichichi six times.
Pele spent the majority of his career with Santos before a two-year spell with New York Cosmos in the United States. Messi joined Barcelona aged 13 from Newell’s Old Boys and has played in Catalonia ever since.
Messi left for Argentina after the game, with a private jet waiting for him in Valladolid post-game.
The playmaker is scheduled to return to Catalonia with his family on the 27th to prepare for the clash with Eibar on the 29th.
