Messi Leads PSG to Sixth Straight Win as the Argentine Phenom Reaches Multiple Milestones

Five minutes after kickoff Sunday at Groupama Stadium, Paris Saint-Germain forward Lionel Messi beat Lyon goalkeeper Anthony Lopes for the lone score of the match.

https://twitter.com/PSG_English/status/1571814608892993538?s=20&t=5S2jQTICGbcP8rV-mkqcMw

Career Milestone

Messi’s goal marked the 35-year-old’s 672nd career non-penalty goal, surpassing both Manchester United forward Cristiano Ronaldo and Brazilian legend Pelé.

https://twitter.com/sportbible/status/1571839611952848899?s=20&t=OZ4XFip9qf6ugILJ7ADNPA

Champions League Continues

Sunday’s one-nil victory over Lyon kept PSG atop the Ligue 1 table with 22 points through eight matches (7-1-0). The undefeated club will return home to face OGC Nice on Oct. 1 before it resumes Champions League action Oct. 5. PSG will travel to Lisbon for an away match against S.L. Benfica before it returns to France the following week to welcome the Portuguese club.

Both clubs are off to a 2-0-0 start and share the lead for Group H in the Champions League. PSG prevailed over Juventus F.C. at home and defeated Maccabi Haifa F.C. on the road, while Benfica shut out Maccabi at home and beat Juventus in Italy.

In PSG’s victory over Maccabi Haifa, Messi reached another milestone after he found the back of the net in the first half.

https://twitter.com/CBSSportsGolazo/status/1570135965649498114?s=20&t=Q1X58C8zVPPhG2BXenB18Q

Maccabi Haifa becomes one of 39 soccer clubs to allow Messi to score against them. In fact, Messi has at least one goal against 39 of the 44 Champions League opponents he has faced throughout his career. For now, Benfica remains one of five teams that has maintained a clean sheet against Messi.

https://twitter.com/ChampionsLeague/status/1570819931448508418?s=20&t=Yz9mvGnnTNL2SU1cspsyaA

International Schedule

Messi will represent his home country — Argentina — this fall in Qatar at the 2022 World Cup. In four World Cup appearances, Messi has six goals in 19 matches. He remains Argentina’s all-time leading goal scorer with 86 scores in 162 international matches.

Prior to the start of the World Cup, Argentina will play a pair of international friendlies. It’ll face Honduras Friday at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami before it heads to New Jersey to take on Jamaica on Sept. 27.

https://twitter.com/ARG_soccernews/status/1570429571979423748?s=20&t=miomQnlLWthf7Iy4_6sgkA

PSG manager Christophe Galtier discussed his optimism for the upcoming international break in the club’s schedule.

“A lot of [our] players are going away on international duty,” Galtier said. “There will only be 5-6 players left here. I hope that they will be able to rest a bit and not be overplayed by their nations and that they come back fit and with no injuries.”