Lionel Messi Virtually Ends All 'GOAT' Conversations With Massive Accomplishment

Paris Saint-Germain still has one more match on their calendar, but for star forward Lionel Messi, the 2022-23 season has seen him etch his name in soccer immortality.

During their matchup against RC Strasbourg on Saturday, May 27, it was the Argentinian superstar who finally made the breakthrough goal as he received a beautiful grounded cross from Kylian Mbappe and finished it off with a beautiful left-footed strike in the 58th minute.

Though RC Strasbourg would be able to draw level 20 minutes later and force a draw, the lone point was enough for Paris Saint-Germain to remain atop the French Ligue 1 with 85 points, four points clear of second-place Lens, and claim the 11th domestic title in the club's history–the most among all French clubs.

For Messi, that goal to go ahead of RC Strasbourg served another purpose as it allowed him to finally break the tie that he had with longtime rival Cristiano Ronaldo over having the most goals in the history of the Top Five European leagues.

As additional context, the Top Five leagues in Europe are the English Premier League, Italian Serie A, Spanish La Liga, French Ligue 1, and German Bundesliga.

Messi stands alone with 496 goals to his name, while Ronaldo—who in 2017 broke Englishman Jimmy Greaves' long-standing record of 366 goals—is now one goal behind him.

Entering this soccer season, the former FC Barcelona star already had a bulletproof resume that elevated him to the top of many fans' "Greatest of All-Time" (GOAT) conversations, but it was his accomplishment in the 2022 FIFA World Cup that practically cemented his spot.

After scoring a penalty in the World Cup final against France, Messi became the first player since the last-16 round was introduced in 1986 to score a goal in each round of a single World Cup run.

Despite Kylian Mbappe's otherworldly carry job of Les Bleus in the final, La Albiceleste had fate in the form of Messi on their side as they came away with the title after a heart-stopping penalty shootout.

That was the only major trophy that had eluded both Messi and Ronaldo for the longest time and for the former to do it in his final-ever appearance made the 2022 World Cup such an amazing few weeks for the soccer world.

To recap Messi's 2022-23 soccer season, the following is his list of accomplishments for this season alongside the most goals in Europe's top five leagues.

• 2022 FIFA World Cup winner
• 2022 FIFA World Cup Final Player of the Match
• 2022 FIFA World Cup Golden Ball winner
• 2022 FIFA Men's Player of the Year
• 2023 Laureus World Sportsman of the Year
• Ligue 1 winner

Despite the rumors surrounding Messi and his future with Paris Saint-Germain involving a transfer to Saudi Arabia, the seven-time Ballon d'Or winner has nothing left to prove in the sport and can comfortably retire any time he wants with a resume that no other player of his generation can touch.