FC Barcelona superstar, Lionel Messi, scored his 250th La Liga goal for the Catalan giants in their 3-0 win over Eibar and here is why he deserves a tribute during or after the El Clasico at the Bernabeu.
If he scores one more goal, he will tie Telmo Zarra's all-time record of 251 goals for the most ever scored in La Liga, and which better place to tie or break the record than in the backyard of your bitter rivals.
Zarra's record has stood for almost 60 years and no other player has come as close as Messi to breaking it. Real Madrid legends Hugo Sanchez (234), Raul (228) and Alfredo di Stefano (227) have come the closest, but funnily enough it will a Barcelona man, and not a Los Blancos player, who will most likely break the record. Messi has an outstanding record against Real Madrid and is the player with the most goals in the El Clasico, scoring 21 goals in 28 games.
If he scores one or more goals, surely even the Real Madrid fans must acknowledge the class of the Argentine and should give him a standing ovation, or at very least applaud him for his achievements. It would not be the first time that Madrid fans have shown their class by acknowledging an opposition player. Off the top of my head, they applauded Brazil legend Ronaldinho after he scored a brilliant solo-goal at the Bernabeu in the 2005/06 season. And if they can do it for Ronaldinho, then why not for Messi?
Perhaps, Real superstar, Cristiano Ronaldo, would not be all that happy to hear his club's own fans applauding his bitter rival, but even Ronaldo should kneel for once if Messi breaks the record. Of course, it is an ongoing debate whether Messi or Ronaldo is currently the best player in the world and Ronaldo has been in scintillating form this season. The 29-year-old has produced the best ever La Liga start after eight games, despite missing one game. He has already scored 15 goals in the league and is well on the way to breaking Messi's best of 50 goals, which he notched up in the 2011/12 season. The Argentine started with 10 goals after eight games during that record breaking season.
Messi himself, has scored seven goals this season, but has also provided nine assists. While his goal-return is not as impressive as Ronaldo's, overall Messi has been involved in more than 70 percent of the Catalan's goals. Many pundits have suggested that Messi's role under Luis Enrique has changed, as the 27-year-old is playing in a number 10 role, rather than the false nine role he used to occupy. With the imminent return of Luis Suarez, Messi is likely to remain more of a creator than a goalscorer in future. Whether his goals will dry up or not, the Argentine will break Telmo Zarra's record and if he manages to do so, he deserves all the credit which comes his way – even from the Real Madrid fans.
Cristiano Ronaldo, meanwhile, has the chance to prove to everyone that he can also score in the big games by continuing his brilliant form when Real host FC Barcelona. It might also be the chance for Ronaldo to swop jerseys with Messi and secure his rival's record-breaking shirt…
Do you think Lionel Messi deserves a tribute at the Bernabeu, if he were to break Telmo Zarra's all-time record? Have your say in the comment section below.
