The incredible story of Lionel Messi's 700 goals

What you need to know:

Lionel Messi scored the 700th goal of his brilliant senior career earlier this week
There are a series of incredible stats behind the goals that Messi has scored
Sportsmail has looked at those and ranked his best and most important strikes

It might have just been a penalty, but Lionel Messi's panenka spot kick against Atletico Madrid was significant on an individual front.
As the ball crossed the line, the Argentine managed to achieve a significant personal milestone – bagging the 700th goal of his senior career for both club and country.
He joined the likes of Pele, Ferenc Puskas, Gerd Muller and – yes – on-pitch rival Cristiano Ronaldo in terms of goalscoring by hitting that landmark strike.
It was his 630th for Barcelona, which, when combined with his 70 for Argentina, takes him to that total.
He is comfortably the record goalscorer for both his club and the nation.
Messi's goalscoring feats have been achieved in incredible numbers.
Atletico Madrid, having conceded 32 against him, have been the second hardest-hit side when facing Messi.
They trailed Sevilla, who have conceded 37.
Fierce rivals Real Madrid, meanwhile, have conceded the fourth most strikes against him, at 26.
Oddly, it comes amid one of the lowest goalscoring seasons of his career.
It was his 29th goal of 2019-20, which is the fifth lowest total he has managed since making his senior bow.
It is the least for 12 years, when he scored 21 in the 2007-08 season.
His greatest output was in 2011-12, when he hit a ludicrous 82 goals.
The strike came at the Nou Camp, and Messi does have a good record when playing at home – scoring 384 – but he is also a huge threat on the road, with 263 goals away. He has also managed 53 in neutral venues.
And it was one of 90 penalties he has scored in his career. He has also bagged 52 direct free-kicks, with the rest coming from open play.
Most of his strikes have come from inside the box – 580 – while 120 have been from outside.
He's also hit 582 with his left, just 92 with his right and 24 with his head.
Most of his goals have come in LaLiga, with 441, although he has also been impressive on the big stage of the Champions League. He has hit 114 in that competition.
The penalty was his only strike against Atletico – he has been kept to one goal 264 times in his career. Messi has managed braces 133 times, hat-tricks 47 times, a four-goal haul on six occasions and five once – against Bayer Leverkusen in the Champions League.
Sportsmail has taken a look at his best and most important goals below...

Lionel Messi's top five best goals
5. Barcelona vs Athletic Bilbao (May 30, 2015) - Copa del Rey final
It went viral, yet it is easy to forget just where Messi picked up the ball. He is just past the halfway line, in no space at all, on the right. Yet he beats all three men he is confronted with on the right side of the pitch as he bursts into the box.
Then he beats another, has just about enough space on his left foot, and somehow bends a low shot into the bottom corner from a ludicrous angle.
Goals are rarely unstoppable but this felt like a player who could do anything he wanted on the pitch in an 18-second burst.

The incredible story of Lionel Messi's 700 goals

What you need to know:

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