STATS Perform/dpa
Berlin
Lionel Messi has moved clear of long-time rival Cristiano Ronaldo as the player to have scored against the highest number of opponents in the Champions League.
Paris Saint-Germain forward Messi has now found the back of the net against 39 teams in the competition after pulling his side level at 1-1 against Maccabi Haifa on Wednesday.
It moves him one clear of Ronaldo, who will not catch him this season given Manchester United are playing in the Europa League in the 2022-23 campaign.
Messi’s goal also saw him become the first player in history to score in 18 different Champions League seasons.
Tjaronn Chery’s classy volley caused an explosion of joy at the Sammy Ofer stadium as Haifa was leading PSG 1-0 in the 24th minute. But the home crowd was soon silenced by Lionel Messi, who equalized some 10 minutes later and were even more disappointed when Kylian Mbappe and Neymar sealed the win for PSG in the second half.