Saturday marked another milestone in the longstanding rivalry between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. As Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) celebrated their 11th Ligue 1 championship, Messi netted his 496th goal in Europe’s top five leagues, eclipsing Ronaldo’s previous record of 495.
In the 59th minute against Strasbourg, Messi connected with Kylian Mbappé’s expertly placed cross and found the back of the net, giving PSG a 1-0 lead. Kevin Gameiro later equalized for Strasbourg, but PSG claimed the league title despite the match ending in a draw.
Not only did Messi break a personal record, but PSG also surpassed Saint-Etienne’s 10 Ligue 1 trophies to hold the outright record. This victory marked the first time in league history that PSG remained at the top of the table from the first round until the last, a streak dating back to the third round of the 2021/22 season and spanning 73 consecutive matches.
However, this latest triumph has been overshadowed by the turbulent relationship between PSG and Messi. The Argentine faced a club-imposed suspension earlier this month after an unauthorized trip to Saudi Arabia caused him to miss a training session. Messi has since apologized to the club and his teammates, claiming he “sincerely thought” he had a free day. Nevertheless, some fans booed him upon his return, and he was also jeered by a significant portion of PSG supporters in March, alongside Neymar.
Messi’s representatives dismissed rumors that he agreed to join a Saudi Arabian club after his PSG contract expires on June 30.
Meanwhile, it has been a challenging season for PSG manager Christophe Galtier, as the team once again fell short in the Champions League, losing to Bayern Munich in the last 16. Galtier acknowledged the difficulty of winning a league title, saying, “The reigning champions in all European leagues have often had problems this season, so we appreciate what this means. It is a title and we must not believe it is normal to win, even if we are Paris Saint-Germain.”
