Madrid (AFP)

In the running to be crowned top scorer in the Spanish championship for the seventh time, the superstar Lionel Messi, captain of a drifting Barça who faces Alavés on Sunday (19H00 GMT / 21H00 local), could beat the record of the legend Telmo Zarra and his six "Pichichi" trophies.

Despite a disastrous season for Barça, Messi continues to chain records: as the Catalans move on Sunday to the Alaves grounds for their last game of the season in La Liga, Messi is about to take sole control of the classification players who have won the very competitive "Pichichi" trophy the most times in Spain, in front of the ex-mythical striker of Athletic Bilbao Telmo Zarra.

With 23 goals on the clock so far, the Argentinian superstar is at the top of the Liga top scorers ranking this season again (after his three consecutive crowns since 2017), ahead of the French center-forward of Real Madrid Karim Benzema (21 goals) and Spanish striker from Villarreal Gerard Moreno (16 goals).

The sixfold Ballon d'Or started its season very strong, with 12 goals in its first 10 matches in the Spanish championship. We remember in particular his two triplets against Celta Vigo (November 9) and against Mallorca (December 7) barely a month apart, and especially his pretty quadruple against Eibar on February 22, for the "manita" of Barça (5-0).

But the Pulga has not dominated the ranking with as much ease as in its last three consecutive titles, where it has each exceeded the 30 goals mark in a La Liga season (36 in 2019, 34 in 2018, 37 in 2017).

The proof: nothing is yet played for the 2020 classification, because Karim Benzema, author of a double on Thursday to offer the 34th coronation in Liga of his history to Real Madrid, could overtake the Argentinian during the displacement of the Merengues at the neighbor Leganés, Sunday evening (7:00 p.m. GMT).

If he retains his advantage at the top of the "Pichichi" classification, Messi will become the only player in history to have won seven top scorer trophies in the Spanish championship, which has paid homage since 1953 to the legendary Athletic striker Bilbao Rafael "Pichichi" Moreno.

On the other hand, Messi will not glean a fourth Golden Shoe in a row (trophy rewarding the top scorer in the European championships), which should undoubtedly go to the Polish striker of Bayern Munich Robert Lewandowski (34 goals in the Bundesliga this season).

The trophy should even escape the double Messi-Cristiano Ronaldo for the second time only in more than ten years (Diego Forlan at Atlético in 2009, and Luis Suarez at Liverpool in 2014, tied with Ronaldo).

The last ten winners of the top scorers ranking in the Spanish Championship:

2018-2019: Lionel Messi (ARG / FC Barcelona), 36 goals

2017-2018: Lionel Messi (ARG / FC Barcelona), 34 goals

2016-2017: Lionel Messi (ARG / FC Barcelona), 37 goals

2015-2016: Luis Suarez (URU / FC Barcelona), 40 goals

2014-2015: Cristiano Ronaldo (POR / Real Madrid), 48 goals

2013-2014: Cristiano Ronaldo (POR / Real Madrid), 31 goals

2012-2013: Lionel Messi (ARG / FC Barcelona), 46 goals

2011-2012: Lionel Messi (ARG / FC Barcelona), 50 goals

2010-2011: Cristiano Ronaldo (POR / Real Madrid), 40 goals

2009-2010: Lionel Messi (ARG / FC Barcelona), 34 goals

The players titled the most times in the ranking of top scorers in the Spanish championship:

6 trophies:

Telmo Zarra (ESP / Athletic Bilbao) in 1945, 1946, 1947, 1950, 1951, 1953

Lionel Messi (ARG / FC Barcelona) in 2010, 2012, 2013, 2017, 2018, 2019

5 trophies:

Alfredo Di Stefano (ARG-ESP / Real Madrid) in 1954, 1956, 1957, 1958 (shared title), 1959

Enrique 'Quini' Castro (ESP / Gijon, FC Barcelona) in 1974, 1976, 1980, 1981, 1982

Hugo Sanchez (MEX / Real Madrid) in 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1990

4 trophies:

Ferenc Puskas (HUN-ESP / Real Madrid) in 1960, 1961, 1963, 1964

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