Football and Lionel Messi go hand in hand. The left-footed wizard from Argentina, who made his senior debut for FC Barcelona when he was 17 years old, has amassed countless awards and smashed numerous records that may be difficult for future generations to surpass. Here are the top 5 reasons Leo is regarded as the best player in football history:Top scorer in La Liga history:

Messi made his 'Blaugrana' debut in 2004, and since then, he has amassed an incredible number of goals in La Liga, the national football league of Spain. In 520 games for Barcelona, the Argentine has totaled 474 goals. Additionally, Lionel Messi holds the record for the most goals scored both at home (277) and away (197) in La Liga history. In La Liga history, he scored goals against 38 different opponents. Although the Portuguese international had only made 292 appearances for his club Real Madrid, his rival Cristiano Ronaldo claims the second spot with a total of 311 goals.

2) The sole athlete to receive four important honours in a single season:

Messi, who is the record-holder,La Liga's top assists:

Messi, who is the all-time leading scorer in the Spanish league and holds the record for most assists with 216, is not just a prolific goal scorer but an exceptional facilitator. Xavi Hernandez, a former teammate of his and currently the head coach of FC Barcelona, is in second place with 129 assists.

4) Most La Liga hat tricks and goals scored in a single year.

Messi, who has won the title of La Liga's leading scorer in each of the last eight seasons, also owns the record for the most goals scored in the league in a single season, with 50, during the 2011–12 campaign, whereas his Portuguese rival only managed 46 goals in the same period. In the 2014–2015 season, Ronaldo nearly broke Messi's record.For club and nation, a legend:

On August 17, 2005, against Hungary, the Argentine, then age 18, made his senior debut. Following a foul on Hungary's Vilmos Vanczák, Messi entered the game in the 63rd minute and was ejected two minutes later. To beat Javier Mascherano, who had played for Argentina 147 times, he continued to play for the national team an additional 150 times, making him the player with the most caps for Argentina. In August 2011, he took over as captain and led the team to victory in the Copa America in 2021. With a total of 90 goals, he eventually rose to become Argentina's leading scorer.
 

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There's No More Debate: After the World Cup Final Master Class, Lionel Messi is the GOAT.
MEGAN SWANICK 18th of December, 2022

The Lusail Stadium in Qatar was lit up by Lionel Messi's performance.

Messi is the new world champion following a suspenseful contest that went all the way to penalties.

The "Messi-ah" from Rosario, who is now 35, has (finally) retrieved the greatest football prize. He will display the trophy beside his countless Ballon d'Or awards, numerous La Liga championships, and Champions League honours in a crammed cabinet. With Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain, and now Argentina, he has won 35 trophies in all.

The World Cup trophy, however, is the most coveted of them all and eludes even the biggest talents.