Messi's Ghost Still Haunts Europe: Top Stats Three Years On
Lionel Messi continues to lead key stats in Europe's top five leagues since 2017-18, including 40 outside-the-box goals and 132 through-balls. Despite leaving for Inter Miami, he tops charts over players like Mbappé, Kane, and De Bruyne who've played far more games. It's a stark reminder of his otherworldly dominance as both scorer and creator.
Messi's Ghost Still Haunts Europe: Top Stats Three Years On
Picture this: Lionel Messi packed his bags and jetted off to MLS paradise in 2023, leaving Europe's elite leagues in the dust. Yet, here we are in 2024, and the little wizard from Rosario is still topping the charts in key metrics across the continent's big five leagues since the 2017-18 season. It's like he set the bar so high, everyone's still tiptoeing underneath it.
Shoutout to the boffins at Squawka for digging into these gems and posting them on X – proper nerd heaven for us stat junkies during this sleepy international break. Let's break down the five standout categories where Messi's untouchable. Grab a pint; this'll take a minute.
Wondergoals from Distance: Messi's Long-Range Magic
Remember when players used to leather it from 30 yards without a second thought? These days, it's all tap-ins and xG obsession – coaches yelling 'don't shoot!' from the touchline. No wonder those screamers feel like relics from a bygone era.
Enter Messi, who's netted 40 goals from outside the box in just 196 games since 2017-18. That's a whopping 14 more than Kylian Mbappé (26 in 263 games) or Harry Kane (26 in 293). The Frenchman and Englishman have racked up nearly 200 extra matches combined, and they're still playing catch-up. Messi's radar was locked on from downtown, no matter the league.
Hitting the Woodwork: So Close, Yet So Far
Sceptics might scoff: 'Praising him for nearly scoring? Pull the other one.' Fair play, but it underscores Messi's pinpoint precision. Even his misses were millimetres from glory.
In La Liga and Ligue 1, he's rattled the frame 54 times (at a 5.7% rate). That's 11 clear of Robert Lewandowski, who's been grafting away in Europe longer. And get this: it's double Cristiano Ronaldo's tally of 27, despite CR7 bowing out half a year earlier. Inches denied La Pulga dozens more strikes – imagine the haul if the posts had a soft spot for him.
Playmaking Prowess: Creator-in-Chief
Messi wasn't just a finisher; he was the orchestra conductor too. In big chances created, he noses ahead of Kevin De Bruyne with 168 to the Belgian's 167. De Bruyne's played fewer games, mind – a couple more at Napoli (cheeky dig there) and he'd pip him. Mohamed Salah lags on 145 despite over 100 extra outings.
But the real jaw-dropper? Through-balls completed. Messi's bagged 132 from 2017-23, with only Bruno Fernandes (84) anywhere close – that's 48 adrift. Just five players have hit even 66 in nine seasons. Neymar managed 79 in 112 Ligue 1 games at PSG, the nearest rival in that ballpark.
Why It Matters: The GOAT Debate Reignited
These aren't fluke numbers from cherry-picked seasons. Across Premier League, La Liga, Serie A, Bundesliga, and Ligue 1, Messi's dominated despite playing fewer minutes post-Barça. Planet Football at OneFootball flagged this original reporting, reminding us: while Ronaldo chased records in Saudi, Messi's legacy endures in Europe's data vaults.
In five years, will he still lead? Odds on. He's not just history's top scorer; these metrics scream he's the ultimate creator too. Europe's best had three years to close the gap – and they're still miles off. What a baller.