(MENAFN- Arab Times) Lionel Messi thanked teammates and coaches past and present after becoming the all-time leading goalscorer in La Liga with a hat-trick in Barca's 5-1 demolition of Sevilla on Saturday. The 27-year-old Argentine's opener brought him level with Telmo Zarra on 251 goals in just his 289th appearance in the Spanish top flight.
Messi then went on to score his side's fourth and fifth goals to register his 27th Barcelona hat-trick and put him out in front as the leading marksmen in the history of Spanish football. "When I scored this goal, I couldn't imagine I could break any record, let alone this one previously held by the great Telmo Zarra," he wrote on his official Facebook page alongside his first Barca goal against Albacete in May, 2005.
"I was only able to achieve this because of the support I have had from so many people during my time here and I would like to dedicate this achievement to you all. "Thanks for always being with me. I would also like to dedicate this to the people who are no longer with us anymore. I will never forget you. Thank you everyone for standing with me."
Current Barcelona boss Luis Enrique has only had the pleasure of coaching the four-time World player of the Year for a matter of months, but believes he will be remembered as the best of all time. "He is a unique and unrepeatable player," said Enrique, who hailed his side's display as one of the best in his short tenure. "I can't compare him to any other player I have seen before and I have seen plenty.
"I have known for a long time that I haven't seen a player like him and now I have the pleasure to see him train everyday." Enrique also batted away suggestions that Messi's future may lie away from the Camp Nou after comments he made in the past week.
Messi refused to rule out a move before the end of his career, despite signing a new four-year deal with the Catalan giants in May. "Football is full of unexpected twists and turns," Messi told Argentinean newspaper Ole. "It is true that I said I would like to stay there forever, but sometimes not everything turns out the way you want," he added.
If anyone had said when a callow teenager called Messi netted his debut La Liga goal in May 2005 he would break Telmo Zarra's top-flight scoring record within a decade they would have been dismissed as a lunatic. Messi equalled the record with a typically breathtaking effort, curling a free kick around the wall and past goalkeeper Beto to give Barca a 1-0 lead. He struck again from close range in the 72nd minute and scored a third goal six minutes later with a powerful low drive from the edge of the penalty area.
Messi's team mates picked him up and threw him into the air several times while his adoring fans wildly cheered their talisman who joined the club's academy at the age of 13. He has taken 10 seasons to overhaul Zarra - also setting a remarkable record for goals in a single campaign of 50 in 2011-12 - and the illustrious names he has leapfrogged give some indication of the scale of his feat. The likes of Hugo Sanchez (234 goals), Raul (228), Alfredo Di Stefano (227) and Cesar Rodriguez (226) have been left trailing and, with years left in his career, Messi's eventual tally could stand as long as Zarra's if not a lot longer.
Messi also has a share of the Champions League scoring record, having equalled Raul's haul of 71 goals this month and he could overhaul it in Tuesday's game at APOEL Nicosia. A glance at the numbers shows Messi's goals per game ratio in La Liga is second only to Zarra's who amassed his 251 in a mere 277 matches while the Barca attacker needed 289 games. Sanchez's 234 came in 347 matches, Raul needed 550 games to reach 228 and Di Stefano required 329 for his 227 goals. Anyone who has watched Messi in recent years knows he can do things with a football that seem to defy the laws of physics and he does not fit into the mould of a traditional striker.
Most of the other players at the top of the charts were considered out-and-out goalscorers while Messi tends to roam the pitch. His ability to dribble at speed past opponents is outstanding and as well as netting a phenomenal number of goals, he regularly sets up team mates to score. "Messi has something magical about him when the ball touches his feet," former Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson said. "It's as if it has landed on a bed of feathers." Comparing Messi's playing style to some of La Liga's previous top marksmen is problematic as relatively little television footage exists of the likes of Zarra, Di Stefano and Cesar. Di Stefano, who died this year aged 88, perhaps had the strongest all-round game and was often seen bossing the midfield and tackling back in defence as well as bearing down on goal.
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