Lionel Messi keeps scaling previously unheard of heights. With a litany of records to his name, he would add another to an already long list. During the blitzing of Estonia in last night’s friendly, the Argentine maestro would become the first to reach 1100 goal contributions in football history. Scoring his second quintuple a decade after he first achieved the same, Messi would breathe in yet more rarefied air inside Pamplona’s El Sadar. His last five-goal haul had come in a scintillating Champions League show against Bayer Leverkusen at the Camp Nou. The five goals also took him past Ferenc Puskas’ international goals tally of 84, moving him to fourth on the all-time list.

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Now totalling 769 goals and 331 assists in 974 appearances, the diminutive genius leads his great rival Cristiano Ronaldo in the combined goals and assists tally. The Portuguese’s combined haul comes to 1046 in 1121 matches, but with a far higher concentration of goals, 815 to be precise!

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Messi has looked increasingly relaxed in the blue and white of Argentina since the Copa America triumph in Brazil. With a major international trophy in the bag, a weight has been lifted off his shoulders! Thriving in Lionel Scaloni’s well-fashioned side, the South American champions have found a system to accommodate Messi without compromising the balance of the eleven. His defensive output- which has historically been on the lower side- has further nosedived with advancing years. But with the robust presence of Guido Rodrigues and Rodrigo de Paul, the Albiceleste can afford Messi the freedom of the field. While he was still quite hyper-active off the ball (by his standards) against Italy, the side is designed to get their talisman on the ball to get them moving upwards. Either with a jinking run or a line-breaking pass, their No. 10 usually always delivers!