Consider the following set of Lionel Messi facts following the Argentine’s first four-goal haul in his La Liga career (his 16th career hat-trick for the Blaugrana).

Lionel Messi is the first Barcelona player to score 4 goals in a Liga game since Samuel Eto’o in November 2008. Further, Messi is the first player in 27 years to score 4 Liga goals against Valencia.

Messi has now scored 42 goals in 40 official games for Barcelona this season. That means that for the third consecutive season he has scored at least 40 goals. Moreover, Messi has now scored 102 goals in his last 100 official games with Barcelona.

More? Lionel Messi is only 12 goals away from overtaking Cesar Rodriguez as Barcelona’s all-time topscorer. Oh, and he’s still only 24.

It could have been more against Valencia also. In a glittering performance that once again cemented LM10′s certain position in the pantheon of football greats, the Flea could of scored eight as his hit the post and had multiple chances narrowly turned aside as he ran the Unai Emery’s team into the ground.

And what soundbite did Messi tell the media after his one-man standout performance? “The most important thing was that the team played like we did against Bayer Leverkuson in the Champions League in midweek when we won 3-1. There are lots of crucial challenges ahead and it’s necessary to keep going like this.”

Sit back and enjoy Messi’s latest non-stop, all-action, permanently-turbo Barcelona performance.

Related link: A report on Messi crowning his double century with four goals.