In his first match as club captain, Argentine super star Lionel Messi led Barcelona to their first title of the season when they beat Sevilla 2-1 in Morocco to clinch the Spanish Super Cup. This was the first time the competition was not played over two-legs and it is Messi’s 33rd title at the Catalan club – the highest for any player at the Nou Camp.
Ahead of the contest though, the Spanish football federation had termed this match as ‘not professional’ after Sevilla raised the red flag about more than three non-EU players being in the squad for Barcelona.
Messi made his debut 13 years ago as a substitute in La Liga under Frank Rijkaard against local rivals Espanyol. Since then the diminutive Argentine’s career has gone from strength to strength and as the 2018/19 season begins he has more titles than any other Barcelona player.
This achievement takes Messi past the club legend Andres Iniesta’s tally of 32 trophies. Iniesta called time on his Barcelona career at the end of last season before signing for Vissel Kobe in Japan.
It was under Pep Guardiola that Nou Camp saw unprecedented success for the Spanish giants. Messi though continued with the club even after Guardiola and with the captain's armband now proudly on his sleeve, he lifted the Supercopa de Espana in a rather unassuming manner, almost embarrassed to be lifting yet another prize.
The nearest challengers to Messi’s mammoth tally are current players Sergio Busquets and Pique, both with 28 trophies. Given the stage at which both players are, it is unlikely they will overtake Messi without his list of titles increasing.
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