Although there are many facets to Lionel Messi's game, his goalscoring frequency is up there with the very best in the history of the game. His record in the Champions League is typically staggering, and over the last decade the Argentine and his chief rival Cristiano Ronaldo have consistently raised the bar by which others are measured.
Currently on 123 career Champions League goals, Messi is hunting down his Portuguese nemesis for the overall record. So, how has he gone about his business in Europe's premier club competition? In this regularly updated analysis, we delve into the numbers behind his success:
Last updated after Matchday 3 of the 2021/22 season
BY SEASON
- Messi scored at least six Champions League goals for 12 consecutive seasons between 2007/08 and 2018/19.
- The PSG man's most prolific campaign was 2011/12 (14).
BY ROUND
- Messi owns the record for the most goals scored by a single player in the group stage (74).
- The Argentine has also notched more goals in the round of 16 than any other player (29).
BY PITCH AREA
- Over two-thirds (67.5%) of Messi's Champions league strikes have come from inside the penalty area (not including 6 yard box goals).
- Just under a fifth (15.5%) have been scored from inside the 6 yard box.
METHOD OF GOALS
- 82.1% of Messi's goals have come from open play, whilst he has reached double figures from the spot.
- Messi has scored five free-kicks in his Champions League career.
BY HALF
- Messi has scored a slightly higher proportion of his Champions League goals in the second half of matches, with 59 coming before the break and 64 after.
BY MINUTE
- Two of Messi's top three most prolific time periods are at the end of each half, although it should be noted that these segments include injury time.
- Messi has never featured in a Champions League match that has gone to extra-time.
NATIONS SCORED AGAINST
- Clubs hailing from 17 different nations have been on the receiving end of a Messi goal in the Champions League.
- Messi's 27 goals against English clubs is one behind Ronaldo's record for the most goals scored against teams from one nation (Ronaldo has scored 28 times against German opposition)
TEAMS SCORED AGAINST
- In terms of specific clubs, the PSG frontman has been on the scoresheet against 37 different opponents.
- Messi has scored at least five times against eight different clubs in the Champions League, three of those being British.
GOALKEEPERS SCORED AGAINST
- Messi has scored past 55 different goalkeepers in the Champions League.
- Bernd Leno and Christian Abbiati have the unfortunate distinction of conceding the most goals to Messi (seven).
TOP ASSISTERS