Messi wins 30th career title

Barcelona FC had recently won a La Liga and Copa del Rey double for the second successive season on what turned out to be yet another landmark night for Lionel Messi.

The Argentina international was in inspired form against Sevilla on Sunday at the Vicente Calderon, setting up goals for Jordi Alba and Neymar in extra time as Barca ended their domestic campaign with a record 28th King’s Cup triumph.

Those assists – his 25th and 26th of the season – helped settle an ill-tempered encounter in the Spanish capital which saw Javier Mascherano, Ever Banega and Daniel Carrico sent off.

The result provided the final gloss on Barca’s recovery following a mid-season meltdown which saw them dumped out of the Champions League and surrender their nine-point lead at the top of the Primera Division.

It turned out to be an extra sweet night for Messi who capped another record-breaking season by claiming his fourth Copa del Rey winners’ medal – the 30th honour in career.

His trophy-laden record include; La Liga: 04/05, 05/06, 08/09, 09/10, 10/11, 12/13, 14/15, 15/16. Copa del Rey: 08/09, 11/12, 14/15, 15/16. Supercopa de Espana: 2005, 2006, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013. Champions League: 05/06, 08/09, 10/11, 14/15. UEFA Super Cup: 2009, 2011, 2015. FIFA Club World Cup: 2009, 2011, 2015. Olympic Gold Medal: 2008. World Youth Championship: 2005

RipplesNigeria …without borders, without fears

Join the conversation

Opinions

Support Ripples Nigeria, hold up solutions journalism

Balanced, fearless journalism driven by data comes at huge financial costs.

As a media platform, we hold leadership accountable and will not trade the right to press freedom and free speech for a piece of cake.

If you like what we do, and are ready to uphold solutions journalism, kindly donate to the Ripples Nigeria cause.

Your support would help to ensure that citizens and institutions continue to have free access to credible and reliable information for societal development.

Donate Now