With two games to go, Lionel Messi is only three goals away from
equaling Ronaldo's season-scoring record at Barcelona.
Messi has 31 goals in the league and 44 in all competitions -
three behind the former Brazil striker in both categories.
Messi has a chance to equal or surpass the record at Sevilla
on Saturday or against Valladolid next weekend.
That would cap another standout season by the 22-year-old
Argentina forward, who has moved into ninth in the club's all-time
scoring list with 124 goals in 212 appearances for the Catalan
club.
"He's the best," Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola said on
Friday. "In the past 20 months he's been able to maintain
unbelievable consistency."
Ronaldo scored a club record 47 goals in 49 games during his
only season at Barcelona in 1996-97, and led the league with 34
goals.
Messi's 44 goals come from 52 games and include the winning
goal in December's Club World Cup, which capped Barcelona's
incredible haul of six major trophies in six competitions.
Messi hasn't stopped scoring since becoming the club's
youngest-ever goalscorer at 17. Barcelona has won an array of
trophies in that time including two Champions Leagues, three
Spanish leagues, a Copa del Rey and a European Supercup.
"When he scores a goal we may say it's just one more goal,"
Guardiola said. "(But) let's not forget he'll be 23 years old and
he's already in the top 10 scorers in the history of Barcelona."
Recent performances have turned heads, especially with the
World Cup fast approaching.
He became the sixth player to score four goals in a Champions
League game on April 6 against Arsenal, when his 25th goal in
Europe's top-tier competition saw him join Rivaldo as Barcelona's
all-time leading scorer in the tournament.
When asked which of the goals he preferred, the world player
of the year said: "The most important thing is to score goals."
Guardiola's arrival has contributed to Messi's recent
goalscoring prowess, while improved conditioning also meant it was
the first season he did not miss time to injury.
Messi scored 42 times in 110 matches under former coach Frank
Rijkaard. But since Guardiola made Messi's position clear along the
flank and with midfielder Xavi Hernandez directing play his way,
the Barcelona youth team player has managed 82 goals in 102 games.
"He wants to be the best and he's showing that through
sacrifice and by perfecting his talent," club president Joan
Laporta said. "He's a nonconformist who's always looking to
improve."
Messi could become the 10th Barcelona player to win the
"Pichichi," given to the league's top scorer.
And as the limelight shines more intently on him, the
normally shy Messi has been slowly coming out of his shell.
Messi no longer seeks refuge inside the family home in the
suburb of Gava, but can be seen venturing into Barcelona with
girlfriend Antonella, or taking his Maserati for a drive.
Messi even let his guard down for a brief moment last summer
when Barcelona celebrated its treble success at the Camp Nou
stadium. Messi, in videos widely available on the internet, led the
fans in chants of "We're going to win them all again" before
capping it with "Viva Catalonia!"
Messi's success has also stolen the spotlight away from
Cristiano Ronaldo, perhaps his biggest rival for the title of best
player in football.
Ronaldo's debut campaign at Real Madrid since a move from
Manchester United has been largely disappointing as the Spanish
powerhouse is on the verge of a second trophyless season. It trails
Barcelona by one point in the league.
"I'd like to have seen Barcelona play two months without
Messi," said Madrid coach Manuel Pellegrini, who was without the
Portugal forward because of a severe ankle injury.
Cristiano Ronaldo's numbers have been comparable to Messi's:
25 goals in 27 league games and 32 in 33 overall.
But it's not that Ronaldo who Messi is chasing this weekend.
