Messi targets La Liga record

Barcelona star Lionel Messi is close to breaking Telmo Zarra's 50-year-old La Liga scoring record - the elusive forward needs just four more strikes to surpass Zarra's 251 goals for Athletic Bilbao

2005: First league goal against Albacete, aged 17 - youngest player to score for Barcelona in La Liga

2007: Strikes first hat-trick in El Classico, equalising in added time

2009: Wins first FIFA Ballon d'Or

2010: 100th La Liga goal, scoring hat-trick in 8-0 victory over Almeria

May 2012: Finishes season top goalscorer in La Liga for second time with outstanding record of 50 goals

Dec 2012: Surpasses Cesar Rodriguez's record of 190 league goals for Barcelona

Jan 2013: Wins fourth consecutive Ballon d'Or, scores 200th La Liga goal

May 2013: Wins sixth La Liga title

Mar 2014: Claims record for most goals in El Classico with hat-trick in Bernabeu - first Barcelona player to achieve feat - to pass Hugo Sanchez as second highest La Liga scorer

Sep 2014: Scores 400th career goal in 6-0 victory over Granada - including 248 in La Liga - four goals short of breaking arguably most iconic record in Spanish football

LA LIGA TOP GOALSCORER SEUROPEAN LEAGUES 

ESP
ARG
MEX
ESP
ARG / ESP
ESP
Telmo Zarra
Lionel Messi
Hugo Sanchez
Raul
Alfredo di Stefano
Cesar Rodriguez
251
248
234
228
227
223

GER
POR
NED
FRA
ITA
ENG
Gerd Muller
Fernando Peyroteo
Willy van der Kuijlen
Delio Onnis ARG
Silvio Piola
Alan Shearer
365
331
311
299
274
260

Sources: FC Barcelona, Infostrada, BBC
Pictures: Getty Images