'Don’t Focus on That Anymore': Lionel Messi Says Breaking Goal Scoring Records Secondary to Winning Titles

When Lionel Messi latched onto a cross from Kylian Mbappe during a Ligue 1 game last season, not only did he give his Paris Saint-Germain a 1-0 lead against Nice but also set a new goal-scoring European record.

The goal was Messi’s 496th of career in Europe’s top-five league which helped him surpass the earlier record of 495 set by his eternal rival Cristiano Ronaldo.

In a recent interview, Messi said that the records do not matter to him anymore and he’s focused on winning titles.

“No, just a little bit. As I said before, at this stage of my career, I don’t focus on that anymore,” Messi told beIN Sports.

“I focus on what I was able to achieve with Argentina and the club level where I was lucky enough to win important titles like the UCL or Club World Cup, leagues, cups,” he added.

Together, Messi and Ronaldo have won 12 Ballon d’Or, an annual award for the world’s best footballer.

Messi, after a trophy-laden career with FC Barcelona, left his boyhood club in a stunning move to join Ligue1 club PSG where he spent a couple of seasons before exiting for Inter Miami of Major League Soccer.

“I was lucky enough to win everything, and that’s really what will remain at the end of my career. Of course, you have the goals and records, but, I think, they are secondary apart from the fact that they are nice recognitions,” Messi said.

Messi achieved his dream of lifting the FIFA World Cup Trophy last year in December guiding Argentina to their third ever title.

In the same interview, Messi also touched upon his fractured relationship with PSG fans who began routinely booing him.

“At first it was great, I received a lot of encouragement as I’ve often said, but then people started to treat me differently, some of the Paris fans,” Messi said.

“The majority, on the other hand, treated me as well as they did at the start. There was a rift with a large section of the Paris crowd. Of course it wasn’t my intention. But these are things that have already happened with Mbappé and Neymar too, it’s their way of doing things. But I still remember all those people who supported me, as they did at the start,” he added.

Messi arrived in the French capital amidst much fanfare with the club hoping to end their wait for Champions League title with the Argentine master. However, he did win two Ligue1 titles during his stay.