Madrid (AFP)

In the legend: with a new title of top scorer in the Spanish championship gleaned this Sunday, the 4th consecutive, FC Barcelona superstar Lionel Messi (25 goals) surpassed the legendary Telmo Zarra to become the only player in history totaling 7 "Pichichi" trophies.

In the Pantheon of La Liga: this 7th title of "Pichichi", confirmed this Sunday with a double in the last Liga game from Barça to Alavés (5-0), placed Lionel Messi at the top of the classification of the top scorers of the history of the Spanish championship, in front of the legendary ex-striker of Athletic Bilbao, Telmo Zarra and his six trophies.

"The rewards and personal goals are secondary. It could become an important record, because it could make 7 trophies (top scorer in Liga, editor's note). But I would have preferred it to come with a Liga title", had Captain Blaugrana reacted at the end of his match at Alavés, this Sunday.

With 25 goals on the clock in 2019-2020 after his three consecutive coronations since 2017, the Argentine superstar once again dominated the ranking of the best finishers in La Liga, which pays tribute since 1953 to the legendary Athletic Bilbao scorer Rafael "Pichichi" Moreno.

Messi finished first ahead of Real Madrid's French center-forward Karim Benzema (21 goals) and Villarreal striker Gerard Moreno (18 goals).

And he accompanied his season with a new Liga best passer title, too, with 20 assists this season in the league. This allows him to remove from the list the record season of Thierry Henry, who had signed 24 goals and 20 assists in 2002-2003 at Arsenal.

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 did not fly over the rankings with as much ease as in its last three consecutive titles, where it has each exceeded 30 goals in a La Liga season (36 in 2019, 34 in 2018, 37 in 2017). Messi in particular experienced a small slump after the resumption of post-pandemic competition, with "only" 4 small goals in the last 10 matches, before Sunday.

However, this was enough to counter the comeback of Karim Benzema, author of a double Thursday against Villarreal (2-1) to offer the 34th coronation in Liga in its history at Real Madrid, but remained silent at the neighbor Leganés, Sunday night.

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:

2019-2020: Lionel Messi (ARG / FC Barcelona), 25 goals

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

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

7 trophies:

Lionel Messi (ARG / FC Barcelona) in 2010, 2012, 2013, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020

6 trophies:

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

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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