Lionel Messi claims fourth Pichichi award in a row

Lionel Messi has won the Pichiachi award, given to the top scorer in La Liga, for the fourth time in a row and the seventh time in his career overall.

The Barcelona star scored 25 goals in 33 appearances for the Blaugrana, with Karim Benzema of Real Madrid second on the list with 21 in 37.

Despite Messi’s 45 goal contributions (including his record-breaking 20 assists), Barca surrendered the championship to Real Madrid who won La Liga after two years of success for the Catalan side.

In Barcelona’s last game of the season, the 33-year-old scored two in a 5-0 drubbing of Alaves, with two typically cool finishes inside the box, which took his tally to 25.

Benzema was already well behind in the rankings, and failed to score at all against Leganes as Madrid drew 2-2, which confirmed Messi’s status again as the league’s best goalscorer.

2019/20 LA LIGA GOLDEN BOOT

Last season, Messi equalled the league record for the most top goalscorer awards, previously held outright by Athletic Bilbao great Telmo Zarra. But his seventh has seen him break yet another goalscoring record for Barca.

The last time someone apart from Messi won the Pichichi award was in the 2015/16 campaign when Barca team-mate Luis Suarez struck 40 times in La Liga.

In the two years previous to then it was Messi's perennial rival Cristiano Ronaldo who claimed the award, after scoring 48 times in 2014/15 and 31 times in 2013/14.

To find the last player to score the most while not donning a Barcelona or Real Madrid shirt, you have to look back to the 2008/09 campaign when Diego Forlan scored 32 in 33 for Atletico Madrid.

There is another record that Messi could potentially break next season, as while he has won his fourth top goalscorer award in a row in 2019/20, that puts him on part with Hugo Sanchez who won four between 1985 and 1988 and Alfredo Di Stefano who won four himself between 1956 and 1959.

A Pichichi award in 2020/21 puts Messi as the outright best in that category, too.

He currently leads the way as La Liga's all time top goalscorer, having netted 444 times in 485 appearances, with Ronaldo some way in behind in second on 311.

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Lionel Messi

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Cristiano Ronaldo

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Luis Suárez

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Gerard Moreno

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Karim Benzema

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Barcelona

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Real Madrid

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Primera Division