Lionel Messi takes over from Cristiano Ronaldo as the leading goal scorer in Europe after the seven times Ballon d’Or winner scored his 702nd club goal in Paris Saint-Germain’s away win against OGC Nice.
Earlier today, Lionel Messi opened the score sheet for the Parisians after finding the back of the net in the 26th minute. The match ended in a 0-2 victory for PSG after Sergio Ramos put the ball in the back of the net with a powerful header in the 76th minute.
After today’s goal, Lionel Messi has climbed to the top spot of Europe’s leading goalscorer list. It was his 702nd goal, taking over Cristiano Ronaldo’s record, who has 701 goals for European clubs.
🚨 Club Goals in Europe:
🇦🇷 Messi: 702 🔥
🇵🇹 CR7: 701Lionel Messi has SURPASSED Cristiano Ronaldo’s European career in 105 fewer matches 🤯 pic.twitter.com/HrzDsp5gYi
— Exclusive Messi (@ExclusiveMessi) April 8, 2023
Cristiano Ronaldo recently left Europe in favor of playing for the Saudi Arabian club Al-Nassr. Since joining the Saudi club, Ronaldo has scored 11 goals in total, which could have added to his tally of European goals had he opted for a European club.
Lionel Messi, however, is still going strong in Europe, playing in Ligue 1, which is one of the top five leagues in the world. So far this season, he has scored 19 goals and provided 18 assists in 34 appearances.
Lionel Messi wants to win his fifth Champions League
As the 2022 World Cup winner’s contract with PSG is soon expiring, many clubs have openly expressed their interest in signing Messi. Al-Hilal has reportedly offered him a contract with a salary of €400 million a year, which, should he accept, will make him the highest-paid player in history.
Most G/A in 22/23:
🇦🇷 Lionel Messi – 58
🇫🇷 Kylian Mbappe – 52
🇳🇴 Erling Haaland – 50One is 35 years old while the other 2 are in their prime. pic.twitter.com/2IQaY5nvny
— Nolo (@NoloFCB) April 8, 2023
However, Lionel Messi has actively expressed his desire to aim for his fifth Champions League trophy. He hasn’t won the title since the 2014-15 season. PSG reportedly brought him in from Barcelona for UCL success, but they, unfortunately, got knocked out in the Round of 16 for two consecutive years.
There are rumors that contract negotiations are being held with his former club Barcelona where he could make a potential return, and given Barcelona’s position at the top of the La Liga table, he will likely make a return, should he not extend his contract with the Parisians.
With their victory over Nice earlier today, PSG has further solidified their position at the top of the table. They have 69 points from 30 games in total, six points ahead of second-place RC Lens.
