Lionel Messi continues to hold one of the most impressive records in the history of European football. During the 2012-13 season with FC Barcelona, the Argentine scored in 21 consecutive La Liga games, scoring 33 goals and becoming the first player to score against all opponents in one season.
This streak is the longest in Europe’s major leagues, but it is still far behind even today’s best strikers.
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Lionel Messi’s record-breaking goal streak that defined an era
Messi didn’t just break records, he redefined consistency in elite football. That season, Barcelona, managed by Tito Vilanova, finished with 46 league goals and 100 points. This was a period in which the Argentine player established himself as the most powerful player of his generation, achieving historic numbers such as winning the Ballon d’Or for four consecutive years and scoring 91 goals in a year.
For context, the record for goals scored in consecutive games in the Premier League was set by Jamie Vardy in the 2015-16 season with 11 goals, just half of Messi’s record. Even Bayern Munich legend Gerd Muller was stuck at 16 games more than half a century ago.
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In 2025, three stars tried to come close to that feat but were unsuccessful. Erling Haaland was handed a 12-match suspension as Manchester City lost 1-0 to Aston Villa despite scoring a goal that was ruled out for offside. Kylian Mbappe, who scored in 11 consecutive games for Real Madrid and scored 43 goals in 44 games during the year, also fell short of that record. Harry Kane has made Bayern’s best start to the season by scoring in 10 games in a row, but he is far from a record.
3 attempts, 3 failures. Messi’s winning streak remains a monumental challenge, a test that will prove his dominance in European football is unique and difficult to replicate. Will someone be able to break it in the future? For now, the story remains Argentinian’s.
