Messi's trio of 2014 landmarks - BALLON D'OR 2014
Make no mistake: while 2014 marks Lionel Messi's first year without major silverware since 2007, the Argentinian has amply lived up to his star billing for both Barcelona and his country. He is not among the three finalists for the FIFA Ballon d'Or for the eighth year in a row for nothing.
After bouncing back from an injury-hit start to the year to finish as the second top scorer in La Liga last season, Messi was one of the main architects behind Argentina's runners-up campaign at the 2014 FIFA World Cup™. Being chosen as the player of the tournament may only have gone a small way towards compensating for the frustration of not lifting the trophy, but either way La Pulga's performances in Brazil would serve as a prelude to a record-breaking end to the year at club level.
Below FIFA.com runs through three stand-out moments in what has been another memorable 12 months for Messi.
Real Madrid-Barcelona: A new page in Clásico history
23 March
Lying third in the table and four points behind then league leaders Real Madrid with fewer than ten La Liga games to go, Barcelona travelled to the Bernabeu in March needing a win to reignite their title hopes. Though Messi set up Andres Iniesta to break the deadlock and subsequently made it 2-1 after Los Blancos had equalised, the hosts roared back again to take a 3-2 lead. But the Argentinian star was not done yet, as two further goals from the twinkle-toed genius sealed his hat-trick and handed Barça an unforgettable 4-3 victory. In the process, Messi moved clear of the late Alfredo Di Stefano to become the top scorer in El Clasico history, with 21 goals in the fixture.
Argentina-Bosnia-Herzegovina: Leading by example
15 June
Having gone 623 minutes since he had last scored on the world stage, against Serbia and Montenegro back at Germany 2006, Messi ended the drought at none other than the Maracana by grabbing Argentina's crucial second goal in their Brazil 2014 opener. "It was an important goal for me, but even more importantly it sealed the win for us," the forward remarked in typical captain's style after the 2-1 win. The Albiceleste skipper would go on to lead his country to the Final with a further three goals and, despite losing the showpiece to Germany, the forward was recognised as the tournament's outstanding player with the adidas Golden Ball award.
Barcelona-Sevilla: The records keep coming
22 November
Messi's hat-trick in the 5-1 thrashing of Sevilla crowned him as the leading marksman in Spanish league history with 253 goals, surpassing the 59-year-old record of 251 set by Telmo Zarra. Afterwards, the Argentinian reflected on where it all began on social media by posting a video of his first ever La Liga strike for Barcelona, alongside the following message: "When I scored this goal, I couldn't imagine I could break any record, let alone this one previously held by the great Telmo Zarra. I was only able to achieve this because of the support I have had from so many people during my time here." Three days later the star was celebrating another milestone: yet another treble, this time against APOEL Nicosia in Cyprus, took him to a record mark of 74 UEFA Champions League goals, three ahead of Spain legend Raul.