When Messi was injured during the Barca duel with Benfica on Wednesday, and was carted out of the arena on a stretcher, the morale of Messi's fans and well wishers plummeted for they thought that Messi just a goal short of the German Gerd Mueller of 1972 world record of 85 goals in a calendar year was there to stay.
Messi first broke Pelé’s record of 75 goals and has now beaten Mueller's record of 85 goals set in 1972
But for 25 years old Messi, the legend who already broken Pelé’s record of 75 goals, set in 1958, the injury was not to deter him to break the historical Mueller barrier.
He was injured last Wednesday. His left knee took the weight of Benfica’s goalkeeper, Artur, in a challenge. As Messi was carted away by the medics, the distress of missing perhaps several months was writ large across his face. When tests proved nothing was broken, merely extensively bruised, Messi did as Messi invariably does. He demonstrated that impulse, that absolute determination, to play the next game.
And there he was scoring the two need goals against Real Betis on Sunday which Barcelona won 2-1: The first to equalize the Mueller's record and the second to break the barrier and become the top goal scorer in the history of the football in a calendar year.
Three-time World Player of the Year Messi's attempt to break German Mueller's record looked set to falter after he was carried off on a stretcher during Barcelona's Champions League group game draw with Benfica on Wednesday.
Messi is now favourite to claim a fourth FIFA World Player of the Year award after making the three-man shortlist which also includes Barcelona team-mate Andres Iniesta and Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo.
Read more about it at: | BBC Sport | The NY Times |
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