How Lionel Messi set a new Champions League record vs Benfica

Argentine icon Lionel Messi etched his name ever further into the history books of European football on Wednesday night.

The name of seven-time Ballon d’Or winner Messi, of course, took its place centre stage in the headlines once more 24 hours ago.

This came as the veteran attacker was afforded his latest starting berth, in Paris Saint-Germain’s Champions League group stage meeting with Portuguese giants Benfica.

En route to an eventual 1-1 stalemate in Lisbon, Messi opened the scoring, in typically sumptuous fashion.

After being laid on by attacking partner in crime Neymar, the former Barcelona man bent a pinpoint effort in at the far post, to take his tally in the Champions League to a whopping 127 goals:

And, as alluded to above, in the process, Messi made yet further history in Europe’s elite club competition.

This came as it was revealed that the 35-year-old has now found the net against no fewer than 40 clubs over the course of his Champions League career to date.

No other player has managed to net against more individual clubs in the competition’s history.

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