• Lionel Messi scored the opening goal for Paris Saint-Germain against Nantes on Saturday.
• He marked yet another remarkable career milestone for the seven-time Ballon d’Or winner.
• Messi has scored 701 goals and contributed 299 assists for Barcelona and PSG overall.

Lionel Messi scored the opening goal for Paris Saint-Germain against Nantes on Saturday, marking yet another remarkable career milestone for the seven-time Ballon d’Or winner.

To put the ball past Alban Lafont, the 35-year-old connected with Nuno Mendes’ deflected cross. Messi’s first-time finish was fantastic, and he celebrated with the rest of his PSG teammates as he reached a mind-boggling milestone.

Almost 20 years after he made his first contribution while a member of Barcelona, Messi’s goal against Nantes marked the 1000th goal he has either scored or assisted in his club career. Messi has scored 701 goals and contributed 299 assists for Barcelona and PSG overall since making his debut in 2004.

In order to put that accomplishment into perspective, Cristiano Ronaldo has 912 goals or assists in his club career since making his debut at Sporting CP in the 2002–03 season, which is 88 fewer than Messi. In the age-old debate, however, Ronaldo has played in four different top-flight divisions, including the Premier League.

But Messi deserves all of the credit for breaking the 1000-goal barrier, which no player from Europe’s top five leagues has done in the modern era. Messi’s goal was also his fifth in the last five games, and he is in the best form of his PSG career since joining from Barcelona in 2021.

After failing to impress in his first season at the Parc des Princes, Messi has scored 12 goals and provided 12 assists in 20 Ligue 1 appearances so far this season. Messi was selected as the FIFA Best Men’s Player 2022 on Monday after also making an impression at the World Cup, where he scored seven goals and won the Player of the Tournament award.

Also Read

Lionel Messi gifted gold iPhones to entire World Cup-winning Argentina squad and staff

Lionel Messi is the FIFA World Cup champion for Argentina. He gifted...