Magical Messi hits ANOTHER milestone as double strike against Granada sets La Liga record

Lionel Messi scored twice against Granada to take his La Liga goals tally for the season to 11 and in the process reach a new landmark that could take years to match.

Messi's double-strike meant that the Argentine ace became the first player in La Liga history to hit double figures in 15 consecutive seasons.

The record was spotted and shared online by football stats specialists Opta, who hailed Messi's achievement as "extraterrestrial."

Ray Hudson's reaction to Messi's free kick goal ????. This guy is a legend pic.twitter.com/ciKigDyCyo

— Steiner (@TheStein3r) January 9, 2021

10 - @FCBarcelona's Lionel Messi ???????? has scored 11 goals in @LaLigaEN 2020/21 (two goals against Granada), the only player to score 10+ goals in 15 consecutive seasons in the competition’s history. Extraterrestrial. pic.twitter.com/oMLAvotCAf

— OptaJose (@OptaJose) January 9, 2021

48 - Lionel Messi ???????? has scored 48 direct free-kick goals for @FCBarcelona in all competitions (37 in @LaLiga), one more than Cristiano Ronaldo ???????? in his profesional club career (47, 32 in league). Stars. pic.twitter.com/sKujVwD6p6

— OptaJose (@OptaJose) January 9, 2021

Barcelona ran out comfortable winners at the Los Carmenes stadium thanks to Messi's double and a brace from fellow forward Antoine Griezmann.

The result lifted Ronald Koeman's team to third in the table, two points behind Real Madrid in second place and four points adrift of leaders Atletico Madrid, who have three games in hand on the Catalans.  

Messi's record joins a huge list of achievements amassed throughout the Argentine's glittering career.

He already holds the record for the most goals scored for a single club, while his 79 goals in 2012 remain a record for the most goals scored in club competitions in a calendar year. He also holds the record for the most goals scored in a club season, with his 73 goals in 2011-12 still standing as a world record today.

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In addition, he holds the record for the longest goalscoring run in a domestic league, thanks to his incredible 21-game streak that saw him score 33 times in 2012-13, while he is also the only player to score more than 40 goals in 10 consecutive seasons.

However, Messi's newest record may not be one he's able to improve on before he retires, with the Argentine superstar set to depart the Camp Nou in the summer. Manchester City, Paris Saint-Germain and a switch to Inter Miami in the MLS lead the list of potential suitors.

But all the while he's still in a Barca shirt, the Catalan side will continue to benefit from his stellar goalscoring ability, which is showing no sign of slowing down.

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