Messi breaks Raúl's Champions League goal record

Lionel Messi has overtaken Raúl González to become the top scorer in UEFA Champions League history with a hat-trick in FC Barcelona's game at APOEL FC.
Lionel Messi has surpassed Raúl González's record as the top scorer in UEFA Champions League history in FC Barcelona's game at APOEL FC.

The forward scored his 72nd goal in the competition proper, group stage to final, 38 minutes in at APOEL to put Barcelona 2-0 up, diverting Rafinha's effort past goalkeeper Urko Pardo. He subsequently added two more.
While it took Raúl 142 UEFA Champions League outings to run up his 71 goals, Messi's appearance against APOEL was his 91st in the competition. Cristiano Ronaldo, set to face FC Basel 1893 on Wednesday with Real Madrid CF, has 70 strikes in 107 tournament matches.Messi's goal also ensured he overtook Raúl and Ronaldo, until tonight the joint-top European Cup scorers alongside the Argentinian. Whereas Messi and Raúl's goals all came in the competition proper, Ronaldo found the net for Manchester United FC in the third qualifying round back in 2005. In terms of UEFA club competitions, Raúl remains out in front with 77 strikes, two ahead of Messi and four of Ronaldo.