Pele Praises Messi as Barca Star Equals Brazilian's Record for Single Club

Pele has taken to Instagram to congratulate Lionel Messi on his "historic record" after the Argentine equalled the Brazilian legend's record of 643 goals for a single club on Saturday. The 80-year-old icon also praised Messi's career as a Barcelona player, highlighting that being loyal to a single club has become uncommon.

The famed athlete also posted two identical shots on his Instagram account on Saturday in which both players hug a teammate and raise their fists in celebration.  

Messi scored in Barcelona's 2-2 draw against Valencia in Spain’s La Liga on Saturday. At the end of the first half, Barcelona’s French forward Antoine Griezmann was pushed in a penalty area, prompting the referee to point to the spot. Messi, who is Barcelona’s designated penalty-taker, failed his attempt, but managed to score with a header just seconds after Valencia’s goalkeeper had palmed the ball away.

Messi holds several outstanding records, including La Liga’s all-time top scorer and winner of most Ballon d'Or awards. The year 2012 was a special year for the Argentine. He became the first player to score five goals in a Champions League game and by the end of the 2011-12 season, he had scored 91 goals, beating another longstanding record that was previously held by the legendary German striker Gerd Müller.