Messi scores 4 goals to celebrate his 200th game

Messi scored four of Barça’s five goals against Valencia on the day he played his 200th game for FC Barcelona 

It’s the second time the Argentine has scored four goals in a match. The first time was against Arsenal in the Champions League (April 6, 2010)

Messi has 27 goals in the Liga, one less than the current Pichichi, Cristiano Ronaldo

The last time a Barça player scored 4 goals in the Liga was on Nov. 8, 2008, when Samuel Eto'o netted 4 times against Valladolid

In Messi's 200 Liga game he's scored 146 goals for his team

Lionel Messi gifted the 74,240 Camp Nou spectators with 4 goals on the day played his 200th game for FC Barcelona. When it looked like Messi would close out the match after scoring his 15th hat-trick for Barça, he subtly chipped Diego Alves for his fourth after Sergio Busquets brilliantly assisted the Argentine. It was Barça’s, and his, fourth goal - which keeps him in the running for the Pichichi award. Messi has scored 27 goals in the Liga so far, Cristiano Ronaldo has 28.

Second time Messi has scored four 

This isn’t the first time that Messi has bagged four goals. The first time was also at the Camp Nou, but in the Champions League against Arsenal. The Argentine fired four past the Arsenal keeper in the 2009/10 quarterfinal. The last Barça player to score four goals in the Liga wasSamuel Eto’o, on Nov. 8 2008, in the game against Valladolid.

44 goals in 39 matches

Messi has played 3,421 minutes so far in all competitions this season, which is about 39 games (almost as many games that are played in the Liga). In this time, Messi has scored 44 goals - 27 in the Liga, 2 in the Cup, 7 in the Champions League, 3 in the Spanish Super Cup, 1 in the European Super Cup and 2 in the Club World Cup. In total, the Argentine scores 1.15 goals per game.

In his 200 Liga games, Messi has 146 goals. An incredible statistic for a player that is only 24. He’s the youngest Barça player to each the bicentennial mark, and the 12th youngest to do it in Spain’s top flight.

Messi, best goalscoring record ever in 200 games

The 146 goals Messi has scored even place him above the legendary César Rodríguez as he looks set to smash records galore

Lionel Messi Scored 4 Goal Against Valencia

Leo Messi just can't stop breaking records. His four goals on Sunday night against Valencia have taken his overall tally in the league to 146, something no other player managed to do in their first 200 games for FC Barcelona.

Better than César

Messi has beaten the record averages set by César Rodríguez, the highest Barça scorer in official matches (235) and also league matches, 193 goals in 287 outings. The legendary 'Pelucas' had scored 140 goals when he reached his 200th appearance, six less than Messi, whose scoring has included a wealth of league hat tricks, (one in the 2006/07 season, three in 2009/10, two in 2010/11 and four so far in 2011/12) plus his four-goal display last night against Valencia.

All records in sight

Messi is on course for beating not only club but also national records – for he already has some amazing stats while still being extraordinarily young. He has 146 goals in the league, and has plenty of time left to beat the Barça record held by César Rodríguez (193) and the Spanish record held by Athletic Bilbao's Telmo Zarra (251).

Just when those records will fall is hard to say, but the one for goals in official matches for Barça could be beaten very soon. César holds that one with 235 goals, but Leo already has 222. But he still has a long way to go before beating the overall record for goals scored in a Barça shirt, which was set in 1927 by the great Paulino Alcántara, with 369 goals. Messi 'only' has 241, but where the Argentinian is concerned, absolutely nothing is impossible.