2011-12 – (73 goals, 34 assists, Copa del Rey, Spanish Super Cup, UEFA Super Cup, Club World Cup)
Statistically, his greatest individual season ever. A European club record for goals in a season, including 50 in La Liga (also a record) and a Champions League scoring record of 14. Barcelona missed out on La Liga and the Champions League despite this.
2014-15 – (58 goals, 31 assists, La Liga, Copa del Rey, Champions League)
The peak of the “MSN” era. Messi, Neymar and Luis Suárez combined for a club-record 122 goals as Barcelona won their second treble, with Messi scoring in the Champions League final win over Juventus.
2012-13 – (60 goals, 18 assists, La Liga)
Barcelona won the league with 100 points, and Messi scored in a record 21 consecutive matches along the way, claiming his third European Golden Shoe.
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2008-09 – (38 goals, 19 assists, La Liga, Copa del Rey, Champions League)
The breakthrough season. Barcelona’s first-ever treble under Pep Guardiola, capped by Messi’s header in the Champions League final win over Manchester United, and his first Ballon d’Or, won by a then-record points margin.
2010-11 – (53 goals, 29 assists, La Liga, Champions League)
A dominant double, with Messi scoring in the Champions League final against Manchester United at Wembley.
2009-10 – (47 goals, 12 assists, La Liga, Spanish Super Cup, UEFA Super Cup, Club World Cup)
His first season as an undisputed 30-plus goal scorer, laying the foundation for the run of dominance that followed.
2016-17 – (54 goals, 18 assists, Copa del Rey)
A quieter season for team silverware but a huge one individually, including his 500th career Barcelona goal.
2017-18 – (45 goals, 21 assists, La Liga, Copa del Rey)
A domestic double, with Barcelona going the entire league season unbeaten, and yet another Golden Shoe for Messi individually.
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2018-19 – (51 goals, 20 assists, La Liga)
His sixth Golden Shoe and one of his most efficient seasons per minute played, though it ended in Champions League semi-final heartbreak against Liverpool.
2022-23 – (39 goals, 28 assists, Ligue 1, Trophée des Champions, FIFA World Cup)
The season everything came together. Messi rediscovered his best form for PSG, forming a lethal partnership with Kylian Mbappé and winning a second Ligue 1 title, but it was in Qatar where the season peaked.
He scored seven goals and added three assists to finally win the World Cup with Argentina, becoming only the second player in history, after Ronaldo in 1998, to win the Golden Ball and the World Cup in the same tournament. He left PSG the following summer for Inter Miami, closing out his European career.
Photo: Kristy Sparow/Getty Images
