LIONEL MESSI has equalled Cristiano Ronaldo’s record of 15 consecutive seasons of smashing in at least ten league goals.
The Barcelona skipper notched double figures for this campaign with a double in the 4-0 win over Granada on Saturday.
Lionel Messi joins Cristiano Ronaldo on 15 successive season of ten or more goals
Argentine hero Messi, 33, slammed home his first free-kick of the league campaign UNDER the wall as team-mate Antoine Griezmann notched a brace of his own for Ronald Koeman’s third-placed side.
Ronaldo was the previous table topper when it came to the most successive seasons of double-figure goal tallies in Europe’s top four leagues.
The GOAT rivals have now both scored a minimum of ten times in the last 15 seasons stretching back to 2006.
Juventus superstar Ronaldo notched his tenth effort in Serie A this term with a double against Genoa in December.
The 35-year-old has shown no signs of slowing up having found the net an incredible 15 times in just 13 league games.
The prolific pair are ahead of three other lethal finishers in Gerd Muller, Jimmy Greaves and Sergio Aguero.
Manchester City striker Aguero, 32, could still take his tally to 14 this season but he is yet to get off the mark.
It will be a tough task for Messi’s international colleague as a torrid time with injury has restricted him to just FIVE Prem games so far this term.
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Messi celebrates scoring his tenth LaLiga goal this season against GranadaCredit: Reuters
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And in his latest blow Aguero – who bemoaned his decision to buy a £361,000 Lamborghini after leaving it to gather cobwebs – has been forced into self-isolation after coming into contact with someone who tested positive for Covid-19.
The former Atletico Madrid striker has been a serious marksman since 2007.
Kun bagged 74 LaLiga goals in 175 games for Atleti, including four back-to-back double-figure seasons before joining City in 2011.
Aguero has fired City to four Prem titles with 180 goals in 268 league appearances but the club-record scorer could miss out on reaching ten strikes for the first time in a decade.
Former West Germany forward Gerd Muller was a scoring sensation for Bayern Munich between 1965 and 1978.
Sergio Aguero faces a tough ask to carry on his run of double-figure talliesCredit: Reuters
Gerd Muller scores for West Germany against EnglandCredit: DPA/Press Association Images
Jimmy Greaves is Tottenham’s record goalscorer and was part of England’s 1966 World Cup winning squadCredit: AP:Associated Press
The seven-time German top goalscorer netted a relentless 365 goals in 427 Bundesliga games for the Bavarian side.
Muller held the record for most goals in a calendar year with 85 but 40 years after his supreme 1972, Messi broke the record in 2012.
England and Tottenham hero Jimmy Greaves scored goals for fun between 1957 and 1970.
The 80-year-old former TV host and 1966 World Cup squad member was made an MBE by the Queen in her New Year’s honours.
Greavsie dazzled for Chelsea, AC Milan and Spurs – where he still holds the goalscoring record of 220 top-flight goals as Three Lions skipper Harry Kane, on 153, chases him down.
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Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
