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Lionel Messi becomes Barcelona’s most decorated player with 33 titles
Lionel Messi on Sunday became Barcelona’s most honoured player after winning his 33rd trophy for the club as the Catalan giants beat Sevilla 2-1 to win the Spanish Super Cup.
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Helped by Ousmane Dembele’s stunning goal and goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen’s last-minute penalty save, Barcelona defeated Sevilla to win their first trophy of the season after defender Gerard Pique had cancelled out Pablo Sarabia’s ninth-minute strike.
The 31-year-old who replaced Andres Iniesta as the club’s new captain overtook his former teammate as the Blaugrana’s most decorated player in their history. Iniesta had won 32 trophies before leaving Nou Camp after a 16-year long stay for Japanese side Vissel Kobe.
From winning his first La Liga title as a 17-year-old in 2004-05, the Argentine star has since guided the club to four Champions League trophies, three Club World Cups, three UEFA Super Cups, six Copa del Rey trophies, eight Spanish Super Cups and another eight League titles.
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In his 15-year stint with the Catalan club, the five five-time Ballon d’Or winner has a record 552 goals, 383 of which have come in the La Liga.
His most fruitful season with Barca came in 2009 when the club won all six available trophies of the season becoming the first ever team to achieve the feat. It was also a great season for him personally as he won his first ever Ballon d’Or and also was named FIFA’s best player of the season.
“I don’t know what Messi must be feeling right now,” Barcelona coach Ernesto Valverde was quoted as saying by ESPN. “If someone’s going to reach that sort of milestone, that many trophies with one club, it’s him.
“It’s incredible. It’s fitting that he has the [club] record. We hope it doesn’t end here and he keeps on winning more,” he added.
Spanish duo Gerard Pique and Sergio Busquets with 28 club trophies are next to Messi and Iniesta, while former Barca captain Xavi Hernandez – who left for Qatar in 2015 – lifted 25 trophies with the Catalans.
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