Messi joins '500 Club'

Argentine maestro celebrates landmark with goal Number 425.

Barcelona racked up another comfortable victory playing drool-inducing football last night, but their 4-0 win over Real Betis carried added significance marking as it did another milestone in the wonderful career of Lionel Messi. 

The Argentine wonder fittingly made his 500th appearance for the Catalan club at the Nou Camp, Barca ending 2015 where they finished last season in La Liga: top. 

Messi's incredible numbers have dipped slightly this season in the wake of injury, the top of the Spanish goalscoring charts looking strangely incomplete with Messi languishing behind 15-goal team-mates Luis Suarez and Neymar, and 14-goal Ronaldo, on six goals. 

Unsurprisingly, Messi wasted little time getting on the scoresheet last night, though - putting Barca two goals to the good after 33 minutes, having already earned his side a very dubious penalty. 

Enough said, really, as Messi's numbers do all the talking - the only real point worth making that the 28-year-old Argentine - who had hormone supplements as a youngster to aid his growth - has thus far proved himself to be surprisingly robust as well as outstandingly talented. 

What will next year hold for the Argentine? A fifth Ballon D'Or at the very least, one suspects. 

©Sérgio Oliveira