Messi and the records which could make him the best player in history

Lionel Messi added another record to his list this international break, surpassing the number of international goals scored by Pele, as he netted a hat-trick against Bolivia.

As he continues breaking records, Messi keeps the debate as to who is the best footballer in history alive, although people general hold one of Pele or Diego Maradona as the best.

If you look purely at the numbers, it is Messi who is far and away the best, as he has seen record after record tumble at his feet.

Messi has won six Ballon d'Or trophies and four of them came in succession and at 23 he became the youngest person to win the award in 2009.

During his time with Barcelona he netted 474 goals in Spanish competitions and 672 goals in total, making him the highest scorer for any club in the world.

In 2015 he became the only player to score in seven official competitions within a calendar year, as he found the net in the Copa del Rey, Supercopa de Espana, Champions League, LaLiga, Copa America, Club World Cup and South American qualifiers.

He is the only person to lift the Ballon d'Or, FIFA World Player, The Best and Golden Boot in a calendar year, and he has achieved this on the two occasions in 2011/12 and 2019/20.