With FC Barcelona captain Lionel Messi scoring twice on the weekend, the six-time Ballon d'Or winner has now drawn level with Cristiano Ronaldo in a certain goals department.
The 33-year-old scored a brace in Barcelona's 5-1 LaLiga win over Alaves on Saturday night, with both goals coming from outside the box and from open play.
According to michelacosta.com, a website that focuses on Messi and Ronaldo, the Argentine has now scored as many goals from open play as Ronaldo has despite being two years younger.
Messi has now found the back of the net on 573 occasions from non-set-piece and non-penalty goals, drawing level with his longstanding rival, who has played 145 more official matches than the Blaugrana captain.
The Albiceleste forward has been in impressive form since the turn of the year, having struck in five consecutive league matches for the first time since April 2019.
His brace on the weekend ensured that he has now scored 15 goals in 20 league matches this season, while he has also assisted a further five strikes in Spain's top flight.
Across all competitions, Messi has amassed 19 strikes and eight assists in 28 appearances for the Blaugrana in the 2020/21 campaign to date.
