Lionel Messi news: Messi on track to break Barcelona legend Xavi's all-time win record
What's the story?
Lionel Messi, who was the star of Barcelona's UEFA Champions League round of 16 fixture against Olympique Lyon in the midweek, registered his 467th win club, equaling a remarkable record currently held by club legend Xavi.
Messi scored two goals and provided two assists as the Catalan giants thrashed the French side 5-1 at the Camp Nou, after they were held in a goalless first leg draw by Les Gones.
Now, the Argentine has the opportunity to add another record to his ever-growing list of accomplishments as a Blaugrana player.
In case you didn't know...
Messi's two goals and two assists was the first time in the current UCL season that any player was achieved this feat.
Messi has had a record-breaking season so far, having become the first player in La Liga history to reach the incredible milestone of 400 goals in the competition.
Last year, he broke Xavi's all-time record of most La Liga wins by any Barcelona player, as he scored a 17-minute hat-trick against Levante in a league fixture.
The 31-year-old, also held the record for the most hat-tricks in the Champions League, with eight to his name, but following a stunning hat-trick by Juventus ace Cristiano Ronaldo in the midweek, the record now belongs to both of these exceptional players.
The heart of the matter...
Messi' brilliance saw Barcelona make it into the quarterfinals of the UCL for a 12th consecutive season. In doing so, the five-time Ballon d'Or winner equaled an impressive record held by one of the greatest midfielders of all time, by winning his 467th match representing the Spanish champions.
The current team captain matched the record of Xavi in just 673 games with 71% of those matches won, while the latter accumulated the same number of wins in 767 matches.
What's next?
Messi leads the race for European Golden Shoe with 26 strikes to his name. With more than two months of football still left to play, it remains to be seen whether the mercurial forward matches his tally of 34 goals that won him the crown last year.