Barcelona superstar Lionel Messi became the only player to score 10 or more goals in each of the past 14 seasons in Europe's top-five leagues with a first-half double against Real Mallorca. (More Football News)
The first of Messi's strikes in Saturday's La Liga clash, a 25-yard effort that curled away from Manolo Reina, took him into double figures for the league campaign.
The Argentina international, who landed a record sixth Ballon d'Or on Monday, doubled his tally before the interval with another goal from range to make it 11 in 10 league appearances this term.
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Messi's highest-scoring league season for Barca came in 2011-12 when he reached 50 goals in 37 appearances.
Lionel Messi has claimed Cristiano Ronaldo's record for the most hat-tricks in La Liga history after scoring another treble in Barcelona's 5-2 win over Real Mallorca on Saturday.
In the week he moved above rival Ronaldo with a sixth Ballon d'Or success, Messi showed why he was voted the world's best player with his impressive display at Camp Nou.
The 32-year-old scored two long-range goals in the first half and added a third seven minutes from time to make it 35 career hat-tricks in the Spanish top-flight. In the process, the Argentine also overtook his great rival Ronaldo with the most hat-tricks in La Liga.
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That is one more than Ronaldo, who spent nine years with Real Madrid before joining Serie A giants Juventus in 2018.
Victory moved Barca back to the top of the table, with the champions above Madrid on goal difference ahead of the first Clasico of the season later this month.
