Messi becomes first player to score 300 goals in La Liga

FC Barcelona football star Lionel Messi became the first player to score 300 goals in La Liga competitions as he scored a brace against Sporting Gijón in an away match at El Molinon and his tally reached 301 on Wednesday. Barcelona defeated Gijon 3–1 and leads the La Liga table.

Messi scored a long range goal in the 25th minute of the game. He has scored 173 goals at Camp Nou and 128 goals in away stadia, most — 21 — against Madrid-based club Atlético Madrid.

Eleven years ago on May 1, Messi at the age of 17 scored his first goal against Albacete Balompié. He reached 100 goals after 154 games. Last season, he broke the record of Telmo Zarra who scored 251 goals. He became the third player in the top five European leagues to score more than 300 goals. Of his 301 goals, he has scored 240 goals with his left foot, 48 with his right, twelve headers, and one with his hand mimicking Diego Maradona's "Hand of God".

The five-time FIFA Ballon d'Or winner is also the top scorer of the Spanish Super Cup, FIFA Club World Cup, and UEFA Super Cup. His team-mate Luis Suárez has also scored five goals in the Club World Cup.

Messi had an opportunity to attempt this milestone in the previous La Liga match, where he instead tricked the goalkeeper by passing the ball from the penalty spot, Suárez scoring it against Celta de Vigo.