Lionel Messi continues to rewrite the record books. With a stunning hat-trick in Barcelona’s latest La Liga clash, Messi has not only extended his lead over Cristiano Ronaldo in the Golden Boot race but also pulled level with Mohamed Salah in the European Golden Shoe standings — both now sit at 29 league goals.
According to Crickex App, this performance marks the sixth consecutive La Liga match in which Messi has scored from outside the box — an achievement not seen since the 2003–04 season. Just when Ronaldo appeared to be narrowing the gap with a recent surge in form, reducing the deficit to four goals before kickoff, Messi answered in trademark style by stretching the lead to seven again.
With seven matches left in the La Liga season and the title race virtually over, all eyes now turn to the fierce personal duel between Messi and Ronaldo for the coveted Golden Boot. In this match, Messi latched onto a Coutinho pass ahead of two defenders, dribbled into the box, and slotted the ball past the goalkeeper — a classic No. 9 striker’s finish. Then, in the 87th minute, Ousmane Dembélé floated in a cross, which Messi controlled with his chest before poking it into the net to complete his hat-trick.
He has now scored in six consecutive league games, netting nine goals during that stretch. Messi’s scoring consistency is helping him peak just in time for the Champions League quarterfinal second leg, where Barcelona will rely on his firepower.
His first goal in the game came from a brilliant free kick in the 27th minute — the ball soared over the wall and curled into the corner, leaving the opposing goalkeeper rooted to the spot. That was Messi’s sixth direct free-kick goal of the La Liga season, making him only the second player in the past 20 years to reach that mark — the other being Ronaldinho, his mentor and predecessor at Barça.
Remarkably, Messi now has 12 free-kick goals in La Liga since the 2015–16 season, while Ronaldo has only managed two in the same period. Even more impressively, Messi’s individual goal tally surpasses that of the entire Leganés squad, who have scored just 26 league goals this season.
As the saying goes, “form is temporary, class is permanent.” With every passing match, Messi continues to prove he’s not just in the race — he’s setting the pace.