Messi's career at Barcelona has been full of accomplishments, and even if this wasn't the one he was looking for the most during today's clash, he certainly managed to cement himself even more as one of Los Culés' all-time icons.
Messi saw his efforts of surpassing Cristiano Ronaldo as the best goalscorer in a UEFA Champions League Group Stage, as he only managed to score one goal against Borussia Mönchengladbach. The Argentinean needed at least a brace to equalize the Portuguese ace's tally of eleven, but despite his efforts, fans weren't lucky enough to watch him match CR7.
But in the end, Messi did accomplish a record. He became Barcelona's fourth all-time player with most games played, joining top-caliber names such as Xavi Hernández, Andrés Iniesta (who also added one more game to his tally) and Carles Puyol. Messi is the only non-Spanish player to feature among the club's top 5.
#Messi will make official appearance number 549 in a Barça shirt - equalling Migueli on the all time list in 4th place #FCBlive pic.twitter.com/rc5GPBtjoM
— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) December 6, 2016
Barcelona's fate in the current competition will be decided once all teams included in the UCL knockout stages are determined tomorrow.