Messi equals Xavi's El Clásico record

Leo Messi keeps breaking records. The Argentine star matches Xavi Hernández as the Barça player with the most games played against Real Madrid in this Wednesday's Clásico, with 42. Messi is the active Barça player with the most Clásicos played, and is only surpassed by Real Madrid's Sergio Ramos, with 43.

How are these Clásicos distributed?

If we look at Leo Messi's 42 games against Real Madrid, we see that the vast majority of them have been in the league (26), followed by the Copa del Rey (8), the Spanish Super Cup (6) and the Champions League (2). Apart from Messi and Xavi, the other three players to complete the Barça top 5 with the most games against Madrid are Iniesta (38), Busquets (37) and Piqué (34).

Messi, top scorer in El Clásico

The Barça captain is also the player who has scored the most goals in the matches against Real Madrid, with 26, well ahead of Alfredo Di Stéfano and Cristiano Ronaldo, tied on 18. The second Barça player to score the most goals against Los Blancos is César Rodríguez, with 14, and Luis Suárez, who is already on 11, is the third Barça player on this list.