Lionel Messi scores 50th free kick of his career for Barcelona and Argentina

Barcelona's Argentine forward Lionel Messi dribbles the ball during the Spanish league football match between FC Barcelona and Real Valladolid FC at the Camp Nou stadium in Barcelona on October 29, 2019. (Photo by LLUIS GENE / AFP)


Barcelona superstar Lionel Messi reached another landmark figure on Wednesday’s match against Valladolid at the Camp Nou Stadium, which the Catalans won 5-1.

In the 34th minute of the game, Messi scored off a free kick and took his overall free kick scoring tally to 50, playing for both Argentina and Barcelona.

The first of the 50 came in November, 2008 in a league game against Atletico Madrid at Camp Nou, the beginning of a free kick extravaganza that has led Messi to a total of 44 for the club and six for the Argentinian national side.

33 of the free kicks came in La Liga. Another 5 in the Champions League, 3 in Copa del Rey, 2 in the European Super Cup and 1 in the Spanish Super Cup.

With 50 goals from free kicks for Barca and Argentina, the next challenge for Messi is to reach 50 in a Blaugrana shirt as he is just six away from a half-century as an FC Barcelona player.

Talking about the match, Clement Lenglet drew the first blood for Barcelona with a nice volley only in 2nd minute. But Kiko scored the equaliser in the 15th minute after Marc-Andre ter Stegen misplayed a free kick into the box to draw the visiting side level.

Just before the half-hour mark, Arturo Vidal again put the Catalonians in the driving seat, and after that it was all about a Messi show.

Apart from the free kick, the 32-year-old netted Barca’s fourth goal of the match with a superb turn and finish from an Ivan Rakitic pass, firing a low line drive of a volley past Valladolid keeper Jordi Masip before setting Luis Suarez with another sublime assist in the 77th minute to reach the final scoreline of 5-1.