Barça reach 10,000 goals in official competition

With the second goal in the first leg away at Arsenal scored by Leo Messi, FC Barcelona arrived at the figure of 10,000 goals in official competition during their long and distinguished history. That figure arrived in some 4,375 matches, giving them an enviable average of 2.28 goals per game.

That impressive tally of goals has helped Barça claim 126 official trophies, the first being the Copa Macaya back in 1902 and the most recent the FIFA Club World Cup conquered last December against River Plate.

Historic goalscorers

Leading the list is none other than Leo Messi who has scored an amazing 441 of those 10,000 goals. He is followed by a roll call of legendary Barça strikers: César (232), Kubala (194), Samitier (184), Escolà (167) and Paulino Alcántara (143).

The first man to ever score for the blaugranes in official competition was one George Girvan on 20 January 1901, in the first game of the Copa Macaya, a competition that was a precursor to the Catalan Championship. Girvan recorded Barça only goal in a 2-1 defeat against Hispània in a game that was played at the Hotel Casanovas pitch.

Goal number 5,000 was notched up by Carles Rexach on 13 December 1970 in an away game in La Roselada against Málaga. Almost 70 years passed between the first and number 5,000 but since Rexach’s goal and Messi’s strike for goal 10,000 we have only had to wait 45 years. Who knows how long goal 15,000 will take to arrive.