Barcelona star Messi becomes the first player to score in 16 consecutive seasons in the Champions League

Lionel Messi became the first player to score in 16 consecutive Champions League seasons with his goal against Ferencvaros on Tuesday.

Messi defeated the Hungarian team’s defense in the first half, and was dropped in the penalty area and won a penalty kick for his team.

The Argentine fired the next penalty kick, giving his team the lead in the 27th minute of their opening game of Group Seven.

Messi is the second player to score in 16 Champions League seasons overall, and joins Manchester United Ryan Giggs in reaching this milestone.

Ansu Fati will add a goal before halftime to give the homeowners a comfortable advantage at Camp Nou.

Fati made history himself with the goal, becoming the first player to score more than once in the Champions League before his 18th birthday.

Barcelona continued to comfortably win that night, beating Ferencvaros 5-1 after other goals from Philippe Coutinho, Pedri and Osman Dembele.

Messi’s goal on Tuesday was Messi’s second goal of the 2020-21 season, after he played three consecutive league matches without any goal after he scored against Villarreal on the first day.

Messi is still looking for his first goal from open play this season, with his shot against Villarreal coming from the penalty spot.

The Argentine has come under some criticism from his manager, Ronald Koeman, who admitted before Tuesday’s game that the 33-year-old could play better.

“Maybe Messi could be in better shape at this moment, but he’s happy, he’s training well, he’s focused, he wants to play and he wants to be the captain of the team and he’s getting better,” Koeman said. “I haven’t had any complaints.” .

“He also had bad luck with the ball that hit the post and in the final match of the match. Usually, he puts it between the pillars! I have no doubt about his form and we’ll see that in the next matches.”

Messi emerges from a tumultuous summer that saw him apply to leave Barcelona, ​​only to change his mind after it became clear that he might have to fight a legal battle with the Blaugrana.

Talking to Goal Last month, Messi made it clear that he was not satisfied with the situation at Camp Nou after a season in which his team had not won any titles.

“It was a very difficult year,” Messi said. “I have struggled a lot in training, in matches and in the dressing room. Everything became very difficult for me and there was a time when I thought about looking for new ambitions.”