Historic Lionel Messi: Barça star set for 700th appearance vs. Dortmund

Camp Nou, for the Champions League game against Borussia Dortmund on Wednesday, will witness Lionel Messi's 700th game in a Barcelona shirt. 

Messi will become the second player to reach that number for the club, following Xavi Hernandez, who went on to make 767 appearances. The Argentine, who has a contract until 2021, could pass him in the coming years. 

This is Messi's 16th season in the first team following his debut under Frank Rijkaard in the 2004-05 season. He averages 44 games per season. He averages more than 38 goals per season. He has won 34 trophies -- including 10 league titles. 

MARK 

Messi began to leave his mark on Oct. 16, 2004, when he made his debut against Espanyol aged 17 years, three months and 22 days. There had already been warnings of his talent in friendlies against Porto (2003) and Juventus (2004). 

There's a before and after with Messi in terms of Pep Guardiola's arrival at the club. With the Catalan coach, and with Ronaldinho and Deco gone, he took on a bigger role and became one of the key players. Later, without Samuel Eto'o, he became the indisputable leader with ridiculous numbers. In 2011-12, for example, he scored 73 goals.  

In this period, 2008-12, Messi consolidated himself as an elite player, above all because of his consistency. He won his first Ballon d'Or in 2010 and he kept on going from there, earning respect and admiration from across the globe. 

MOMENTS 

It's impossible to compile Messi's best moments in a few lines -- or even in a book. You would need an encyclopedia to document everything he has done wearing the No.30, No.19 and, most famously, No.10 shirt since his eruption on the scene. 

Complete games, goals, assists, free-kicks, penalties, passes, exquisite behaviour, so many details have been left behind by Messi in his 699 appearances. In addition, he's taken over club legends like César Rodríguez, Ladislao Kubala and Josep Samitier and owns almost every record.

Messi is the top scorer at Camp Nou, a ground he has scored 356 times at in 342 games. His average is more than a goal a game (1.04). In addition, he's won 280 games there (almost 82 percent). 

The rivals that have suffered most at the left boot of Messi are Sevilla (37 goals in 38 games), Atlético Madrid (29 in 38), Valencia (28 in 33), Real Madrid (26 in 41) and Espanyol (25 in 33). In fact, the Barça captain has scored against 75 of the 85 teams he has faced so far. Only Rubin Kazan (4 games), Inter Milán (4), Benfica (2), Xerez (2), Al-Sadd (1), Cádiz (1), Murcia (1), Gramenet (1), Udinese (1) and Borussia Dortmund (1) have kept him out.

He has the chance to put that right against Dortmund and Inter in the coming weeks, to push his tally up to 77.

AFTER Xavi!

Messi can now focus on Xavi. After Wednesday, he will be 67 games away from the former Barça captain, who is now the coach of Qatar side Al-Sadd. He was at Camp Nou for 17 seasons, between 1998 and 2015. 

Following Messi and Xavi are: Andrés Iniesta, who played 674 games, Carles Puyol, with 593 games, Sergio Busquets, who will move on to 552 against Dortmund and Migueli (1974-1988).

AND AFTER PelE! 

One of the records Messi can beat in 2020 is the top scorer for one club. The Argentine has 612 goals and is 31 away from equaling the Brazilian Edson Arantes do Nascimento, Pele, who netted 643 with Santos.