How many Champions league has Messi won?
Lionel Messi is considered one of the greatest players in football history. The Argentine star has not only broken many records in La Liga and international tournaments, but also won his first World Cup in 2022. In addition, Messi is also a familiar name in the Champions League arena, where he has played for many years with Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain. In this article, Kingsoccertips will help you explore the question “How many Champions League titles has Messi won?”. Join Premiumsoccertips to learn about the Champions League titles that Messi has achieved, his role in those victories, as well as the impressive records he has set in this tournament. Read on for more details.
How many Champions league Messi has won?
Lionel Messi has won four Champions League titles, all with Barcelona. Specifically, he won in the following seasons:
- 2005/06 season
- 2008/09 season
- 2010/11 season
- 2014/15 season
Messi wins the Champions League
2005/06
Lionel Messi won his first Champions League title in the 2005/06 season when he was just 18. At the time, he had yet to establish himself as a regular in Frank Rijkaard’s squad, scoring just nine goals for the first team.
However, in the round of 16 tie against Chelsea, Messi suffered an injury and was unable to play in the final against Arsenal. He was not even fit enough to be on the bench, so had to watch the game from the sidelines.
Barcelona won 2-1 with goals from Samuel Eto’o and Juliano Belletti. Thus, Messi won his first Champions League title without playing in the final. He recalls the moment with mixed emotions, unable to celebrate with his teammates due to the disappointment of his injury. Messi feels he may never get the chance to play in another Champions League final, and he hopes to at least be on the bench for the match in France.
2008/09
Messi got his first chance to play in a Champions League final just three years later, in the 2008/09 season. This time, he was fully fit and started by Pep Guardiola against Manchester United, playing as a right winger in a 4-3-3 formation.
Barcelona were designated as the ‘home’ team for the match, meaning they had the right to decide what kit to wear. The Catalans opted to wear their traditional blue and red.
Barcelona quickly took control of the match, with Samuel Eto’o scoring the opening goal in the 10th minute of the final. After leading 1-0 at half-time, Barcelona continued to dominate in the second half. In the 70th minute, Messi had a memorable moment when he headed home a beautiful cross from Xavi. The ball went over Rio Ferdinand’s head, giving Messi the chance to put the ball into the net through the helpless save of goalkeeper Edwin Van Der Sar.
Cristiano Ronaldo and his teammates could only watch in amazement as Barcelona ended the match with a 2-0 victory for the home team. Messi was named the best player of the match, with 62,467 spectators present at the stadium.
2010/11
Messi’s third Champions League trophy came just two seasons later, with a repeat of the 2008/09 final between Barcelona and Manchester United. The 2010/11 Champions League final was held at Wembley Stadium, attracting over 87,000 fans.
Manchester United, aiming for revenge against Barcelona after their defeat the previous season, lined up in a 4-4-1-1 formation under manager Sir Alex Ferguson. Barcelona, meanwhile, continued to deploy their traditional 4-3-3 formation under Pep Guardiola, but this time Lionel Messi was deployed in a false nine role.
Spanish winger Pedro opened the scoring in the 27th minute, but Manchester United were not to be outdone and responded quickly when Wayne Rooney equalised in the 34th minute. However, Messi reasserted his brilliance by scoring Barcelona’s second goal, a powerful strike from outside the box that beat goalkeeper Edwin Van Der Sar.
David Villa scored Barcelona’s third in the 69th minute, sealing a 3-1 win for the Catalans. It was the third time in six seasons that Barcelona had won the Champions League. Messi, after an impressive performance, was named man of the match in the final.
2014/15
The 2014/15 Champions League final saw Barcelona take on Juventus, and was held at the Olympiastadion in Berlin, with a crowd of 70,442.
Barcelona, managed by Luis Enrique, who had previously managed the club’s B team, continued to line up in their usual 4-3-3 formation. Messi, along with Neymar and Luis Suárez, formed the Catalans’ attacking trio.
The match started with an impressive performance from Barcelona, who took the lead after just four minutes through a goal from Ivan Rakitić. Barcelona led 1-0 at half-time, but Juventus equalised in the 55th minute. However, that was the only goal Juventus could muster, as Barcelona continued to show their superiority with a second from Suárez and a third from Neymar in the 7th minute of added time.
Although Messi did not score in the final, he still left Berlin in joy, as Barcelona won 3-1, bringing Messi the fourth Champions League title of his career.
How many goals has Messi scored in Champions League finals?
Lionel Messi has scored two goals in Champions League finals:
- 1 in the 2008/09 season against Manchester United.
- 1 in the 2010/11 season, also against Manchester United.
Messi’s achievements in the Champions League
After knowing how many Champions League titles Messi has won, let’s explore his remarkable achievements in this tournament. The Argentine player owns many outstanding achievements and impressive records in the most prestigious arena in Europe.
Messi currently holds the following records in the Champions League:
- Record for the highest number of goals scored in the Champions League group stage.
- Record for the most goals scored in the Champions League round of 16.
- Player with the most goals for one club (Barcelona) in the Champions League.
- Record for the number of goals scored in consecutive Champions League seasons.
Record for most goals in the Champions League group stage
Messi currently holds the record for most goals in the Champions League group stage, with a total of 80 goals, of which 71 were scored while he was playing for Barcelona and the rest while playing for PSG.
Record for most goals in the Champions League round of 16
Messi also holds the record for most goals scored in the round of 16 stage of the competition, with 29 goals scored across all seasons.
Record for most goals scored in the Champions League for a single club
Messi has scored a total of 120 goals for Barcelona in the Champions League, setting a record for most goals scored by a single club in the competition.
Consecutive goalscoring record in Champions League seasons
One of Messi’s most impressive records in the Champions League is his ability to score in consecutive seasons, with a record of scoring in 18 consecutive seasons.
Head-to-head in the Champions League: Messi vs Ronaldo
A familiar question that football fans often discuss is “Who has won more Champions League titles: Messi or Ronaldo?”. Cristiano Ronaldo currently leads the way with 5 Champions League titles, including 4 with Real Madrid and 1 with Manchester United, while Messi has 4 titles with Barcelona.
Can Messi win another Champions League?
There is a chance that Lionel Messi could win another Champions League in the future, especially if he makes a symbolic return to Barcelona. Although the Catalans have not won the competition since Messi last won it with them in 2014/15, they have improved and recovered strongly under Xavi.
However, Messi has not had much success in Europe with PSG, who only reached the round of 16 in 2021/22 and 2022/23.
Conclusion
All of Lionel Messi’s Champions League titles have come in 10 finals between 2008/09 and 2015/16. He scored two goals in four finals, and despite not playing in one, Messi was still a key factor in Barcelona’s dominance of Europe. In addition, Messi has also cemented his place in football history by setting a number of impressive records in the Champions League, including the record for goals scored in consecutive Champions League seasons.
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