Messi better than Pele!

LIONEL MESSI is BETTER than Pele — and that’s official.
Barcelona’s Argentine ace has surpassed Brazilian hero Pele’s goals record for club and country in a calendar year.

Messi and Pele

Messi hit two against Mallorca in a 4-2 win to take his 2012 tally to 76, nine behind German Gerd Muller’s all-time mark.

Pele’s best yearly return was 75 with Santos and Brazil in 1958. Barca coach Tito Vilanova said: “Leo’s records are spectacular.

“It’s spectacular when you think that he scores so many goals.
“Some players reach these numbers in seven or eight seasons, he does it in one. And most of his goals are great goals.”

Messi’s seventh double of the season increased his league-leading tally to 15 goals. He has 20 in all competitions this term.

Football club sign up Messi’s baby

LIONEL MESSI’S two-week-old baby has already signed for a football club!

Argentina outfit Newell’s — where football god Messi played at youth level before joining Barcelona — have snapped up infant Thiago as a member.

Newell’s will be hoping their decision to beat the competition early pays off by Messi’s powers of soccer genius passing down through his genes to the little lad.

Baby Thiago, who was signed by his grandfather, is eight years younger than when his old man joined them in 1995.

The tot was born on November 2 which is one part of a bizarre riddle involving the current two best players in the world.

Real Madrid ace Cristiano Ronaldo is 869 days older than his great rival Messi.

But astonishingly, Ronaldo’s son — Cristiano Ronaldo Junior — is ALSO 869 days older than Messi’s lad.

Goal-getter Messi smashed another record last night as he reached 76 goals for the year after a brace in Barca’s 4-2 win at Mallorca — surpassing Pele’s previous record of 75.