The Argentinean, named best player in the world, has scored 59 goals (55 with Barça and 4 with Argentina) in 2011. A year in which he claimed five trophies with FC Barcelona
Here’s a look at Leo Messi’s, three-time FIFA Ballon d'Or winner, 2011:
January 8: Scores his first goal of the year at Riazor (0-4)
January 10: He’s awarded his second straight FIFA Ballon d’Or
January 12: Along with Xavi and Iniesta, he offers up his award to the Camp Nou, on the same day that he scores his first hat-trick of 2011 (5-0 against Betis, in the Cup)
January 29: He scores a brace against Hércules (0-3) taking his all-time goal tally to 109 in the League. Therefore establishing himself as Barça’s third-highest goal scorer, ahead of Samuel Eto’o (108)
February 5: He scores his ninth career hat-trick. It was against Atlético de Madrid (3-0)
February 20: He reaches his 250th game as a Barça player. At this point, the Argentinean has 168 goals as a first-team player
March 8: Two of his goals -one of which was shortlisted for the FIFA Puskas award- help Barça knock Arsenal out of the Champions League (3-1)
April 12: A goal against Donetsk (0-1) allows Messi to break the record of goals scored by any one player in a season (48)
April 16: He scores from the penalty spot at the Bernabéu in the League Clásico (1-1). It was also Messi’s first goal against a team coached by Mourinho
April 23: On the day of Sant Jordi, Messi scores his 50th goal of the season, beating the record established by Frenec Puskas in 1959/60
April 27: Two goals from Messi give Barça the advantage against Madrid in the Champions League semi-finals. These were his first goals ever in a Champions League semi-final
May 11: FC Barcelona wins the League at Levante (1-1)
August 17: Messi’s three goals in the Spanish Super Cup, against Madrid, give FC Barcelona the title
August 26: He scores in the only competition that he hadn’t scored in yet, the European Super Cup. His goal led to another FC Barcelona trophy (2-0)
September 24: He scores another hat-trick against Atlético de Madrid, it’s his 150th goal under Josep Guardiola
September 28: A brace against BATE Borisov allows him to reach Ladislao Kubala, with 194 goals, as the second highest goal scorer in the Club’s history. Only 41 behind César
October 15: Two goals against Racing (3-0) allow him to beat Kubala’s record
November 1: He scores yet another hat-trick, this time against Viktoria Plzen, which takes his all-time goal tally to 200
December 18: He wins his second Club World Cup trophy, he scored the first and last goal in the final against Santos (0-4)
