40-Year Record Broken By Lionel Messi, Barcelona Soccer Player
Barcelona soccer player Lionel Messi set the record for most goals in a calendar year after scoring his 86th goal of 2012 in a game on Sunday.
The 25-year-old broke the record of 85 goals set by German Ferd Muller back in 1972. He faced an injury last Wednesday, bruising his left knee, but was determined to show his coach Tito Vilanova and his fellow players that he was up for the task of competing against Real Betis, according to The New York Times.
In the end, Messi scored twice on Sunday, helped his team win the game, 2-1, and along with that he went past the all-time record. He has now scored 74 goals for Barcelona and 12 goals for Argentina in 2012.
When asked about his feelings regarding breaking the sports record, he responded with, "the record is great for what it means, but the most important thing is that the team won and that we maintained the distance with the teams behind us."
"Leo is supernatural. He doesn't have limits," Spanish player Gerard Pique said on Sunday. "We'll always have to remember everything he gave us. We have to enjoy every minute we have with him."
In March 2012, Messi became the first player to score five goals in a Champions League match, and he is also a contender to win his fourth Fifa World Player of the Year award, according to BBC. He, along with Cristiano Ronaldo and Andres Iniesta, have been named on a three-man list for this year's Ballon d-Or. The winner will be announced on Jan. 7.
Messi passed on praise for his player of the year nomination when questioned about it after Sunday's game. He said about Iniesta, "If the Ballon d'Or is for Andrés he deserves it for everything he shows us game after game."
