Although Messi is originally from Argentina, he has spent his entire professional career playing in Europe, having joined Barcelona at the age of 13.
Throughout his time at Barcelona, he managed to score a remarkable 672 goals, which has led to his recognition as the greatest goal scorer in European football history.
However, it's worth noting that this award is only for goals scored at the club level in Europe, and if international goals had been included, Cristiano Ronaldo would be the top scorer on the list.
Despite this, Messi has managed to surpass Ronaldo's record thanks to his recent goal for Paris Saint-Germain against Nice. Messi's achievement highlights his incredible skill and talent as a footballer, solidifying his place in the history books as one of the greatest players of all time.
Who are the most prolific scorers throughout the history of European soccer?
13. Uwe Seeler (Germany) - 509 goals
12. Robert Lewandowski (Poland) - 515 goals
11. Gerd Muller (Germany) - 526 goals
10. Fernando Peyroteo (Portugal) - 539 goals
9. Jimmy McGrory (Scotland) - 540 goals
8. Glenn Ferguson (Northern Ireland) - 563 goals
7. Abe Lenstra (Netherlands) - 591 goals
6. Joe Bambrick (Northern Ireland) - 608 goals
5. Jimmy Jones (Northern Ireland) - 636 goals
4. Ferenc Puskas (Hungary, Spain) - 640 goals
3. Josef Bican (Austria, BM, CS) - 690 goals
2. Cristiano Ronalo (Portugal) - 701 goals
1. Lionel Messi (Argentina) - 702 goals
The article suggests that Lionel Messi is still the top player in the world and it is unlikely that he will lose his status any time soon.
The only scenario in which he might be challenged is if Cristiano Ronaldo were to return to European football from his current adventure at Al-Nassr, which is unlikely.
Even in that case, Messi could still add significantly to his own goal tally, given that he is only 35 years old and has many years of playing at the top level left in him.
The article cites Messi's impressive statistics for the 2022/23 season, in which he has scored 19 goals and assisted in 18 goals in just 34 appearances for PSG, as evidence of his continued dominance.
