Messi sets new Champions League record

Lionel Messi has again made history by becoming the player that has scored against the most teams in the Champions League on Wednesday Read Full Article at RT.com

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Sep 15, 2022 - 11:00
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Messi sets new Champions League record

The Argentine entered European football's record books once more

A routine 3-1 win away at Maccabi Haifa for Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League on Wednesday saw Lionel Messi make history in the competition.

PSG were given a scare when Tjaronn Chery put the Israeli home team 1-0 up on 24 minutes.

Less than a quarter of an hour later, however, Messi equalized when bringing down and tapping in a Kylian Mbappe cross from close range. 

With this, Messi broke not one but two records and primarily became the player that has scored against the most teams (39) in the competition by pulling ahead of generational rival Cristiano Ronaldo (38).

Furthermore, the seven-time Ballon d'Or winner also pipped another former Real Madrid foe from his FC Barcelona days by becoming the first player to score in the UCL in 18 different seasons.

Messi has achieved this by hitting the back of the net in every single campaign since 2005/06, when he helped Barca win their second European Cup in Paris alongside Ronaldinho.

His nearest rival Karim Benzema, on 17 consecutive seasons, could pull level again during Madrid's defense of the crown, although the Frenchman was an injury absentee from the Spanish giants' 2-0 win against RB Leipzig at the Bernabeu on Wednesday.

While Messi's Madrid-born teammate of Moroccan and Muslim origin Achraf Hakimi was booed by the supporters in the Sammy Ofer Stadium for his previous vocal support of the Palestinian plight, Messi went viral for the adoration he received from the match mascots. 

As the Ligue 1 giants lined up to hear the Champions League anthem before kick-off, Messi was mobbed by starstruck youngsters with jaws agape who blew him kisses and received a hug from their hero with footage of the incident already seen well over three million times.