A closer look at Lionel Messi’s 400 goals in LaLiga

Lionel Messi reached 400 league goals for Barcelona with his strike in Sunday’s 3-0 win over Eibar.

The Argentina star is the first man to achieve the feat in LaLiga, the second to score 400 in Europe’s top five leagues and the first to do so with a single club.

Cristiano Ronaldo was the first player to reach 400 in the top five leagues, but took 63 more games than Messi and had played in England, Spain and Italy for Manchester United, Real Madrid and Juventus respectively.

Here, Press Association Sport breaks down Messi’s career league goals statistically, starting with the major milestones along the way.

Landmark goals

First goal: v Albacete, May 1, 2005

50th: v Malaga, March 22, 2009

100th: v Almeria, November 20, 2010 – Messi brought up his century with the second goal of his hat-trick in a thumping 8-0 win.

150th: v Sevilla, March 17, 2002

200th: v Osasuna, January 27, 2013

250th: v Eibar, October 18, 2014

300th: v Sporting Gijon, February 17, 2016

350th: v Alaves, August 26, 2017

400th: v Eibar, January 13, 2019

League goals by season

2004-05: 1

2005-06: 6

2006-07: 14

2007-08: 10

2008-09: 23

2009-10: 34

2010-11: 31

2011-12: 50

2012-13: 46

2013-14: 28

2014-15: 43

2015-16: 26

2016-17: 37

2017-18: 34

2018-19: 17 (so far)

Favourite opponents

v Sevilla: 25 league goals

v Valencia: 22

v Atletico Madrid: 21

v Osasuna: 21

v Deportivo La Coruna: 20

v Espanyol: 20

Multiple goals

:: Messi has scored multiple goals on 114 occasions in LaLiga.

:: He has 31 hat-tricks to his name, including four occasions on which he scored four goals – against Valencia and Espanyol in 2012, Osasuna in January 2013 and Eibar in September 2017.