Messi grateful after breaking Pele mark

Barcelona's Lionel Messi celebrates scoring their third goal.

BARCELONA • Lionel Messi beat Pele’s record of goals for a single club when he scored his 644th for Barcelona in a 3-0 Spanish La Liga victory over Valladolid on Tuesday.

The Argentina skipper scored Barca’s third goal when he collected Pedri’s back-heel before firing past goalkeeper Jordi Masip in the 65th minute.

“When I started playing football I never thought I would break any records. And even less the one I achieved today,” Messi posted on Instagram shortly after the game.

“I can only thank all those who helped me over the years, my teammates, my family, my friends and all those who support me every day.”

Messi, who is Barca’s record goalscorer, had equalled Pele on Saturday in a 2-2 draw with Valencia, with both players netting at almost an equal rate for their clubs.

It was the 33-year-old’s 749th competitive match for Barca, meaning he has scored a goal every 1.16 games. The Brazil legend scored 643 goals in 757 matches with Santos, where he played from 1956 to 1974, or one every 1.17 matches.

Six-time Ballon d’Or winner Messi – with 10 goals in all competitions and five being penalties – is enduring his worst individual season since 2007-08. However, Barca coach Ronald Koeman is hoping that by switching to an unfamiliar 3-5-2 formation, he can free up his captain in attacking areas.

Despite dropping Antoine Griezmann and Philippe Coutinho, the visitors dominated at Valladolid and the Dutchman, whose side also scored via Clement Lenglet and Martin Braithwaite, hopes they can build on the away win, their first in the league since Oct 1.

Koeman said: “I see Messi happy. He is working hard, and he is a very important part of our attacking game.

“For this game, we changed our formation to give us more security at the back and make the most of the quality of our full-backs.

“At the same time, we were able to build plays without any problems, and have lots of possession and players running between the lines. We saw a team that meant business, that showed good concentration, and we created a lot of opportunities.”

Barca remain eight points behind leaders Atletico Madrid (32), who won 2-0 at third-placed Real Sociedad (26) on Tuesday, and have also played a game more.

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE, REUTERS