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2019/20 Spanish La Liga
89th Season
Matches Played: 380
Goals Scored: 942
FC Barcelona captain Lionel Messi showed no signs of slowing down as he set new records in the 2019/20 La Liga season.
The 33-year-old versatile attacker started the campaign by winning the Best FIFA Men's Player Award for the first time in his career.
Messi then netted his 34th hat-trick in La Liga, equalling Cristiano Ronaldo's Spanish top-flight record in November 2019 when he scored three times in a 4-1 home win over Celta Vigo.
A month later, Messi was awarded a record-breaking sixth Ballon d'Or and this inspired his performances in La Liga as he broke a record six days later.
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The left-footed genius scored his record-breaking 35th hat-trick in La Liga with three goals in Barcelona's 5-2 victory over Real Mallorca.
Messi was unstoppable at the turn of the year as he created and scored goals with ease as Barca looked to clinch their third successive league title.
In February 2020, Messi scored four goals in a 5-0 home win over Eibar and he assisted twice and scored another in the team's 4-0 away win against Mallorca in June 2020.
Therefore, the former Newell's Old Boys academy player became the first player ever in La Liga to score 20 goals or more in 12 consecutive seasons.
His goal against Atletico Madrid on 30 June 2020 helped him reach his 700th goal in his senior career for Barcelona and Argentina.
"I have not seen any player like Messi in the history of football. He has been doing it for 10 years. I do not know if Pele had the continuity of Messi," former Barcelona manager Quique Setien said on Tribuna.
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In July 2020, the former Argentina under-20 international provided his 20th assist of the league season for Arturo Vidal in a 1-0 away win over Real Valladolid.
As a result, the man nicknamed Leo equalled his former Barcelona teammate Xavi Hernandez's record of 20 assists in a single La Liga season from 2008/09 campaign.
Leo's 22 La Liga goals saw him become only the second player ever in one of Europe's top–five leagues in the 21st century, after Thierry Henry, who is also his former teammate at Barca.
French legend Henry achieved this in the 2002/03 English Premier League season with Arsenal (24 goals and 20 assists), to record at least 20 goals and 20 assists in a single league season.
Leo went on to finish the season as both the top scorer and top assist provider in La Liga, with 25 goals and 21 assists respectively having netted a brace in a 5-0 win over Deportivo Alaves on 07 July 2020.
The accomplished player won a record seventh Pichichi trophy (La Liga's Golden Boot award), overtaking Athletic Bilbao legend Telmo Zarra.
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