What do Charly Rexach, Xavi and Messi have in common?

Another season and another record for Leo Messi. In the opening game of the season against Villarreal equalled a feat only ever achieved before by two other FC Barcelona legends; Charly Rexach and Xavi Hernández. 

From his debut in October 2004 against Espanyol, the Barça number 10 has featured in 17 consecutive seasons for the blaugranes, a figure that equals the run of Xavi Hernández between 1998 and 2015 and that of Charly Rexach from 1965 to 1981. 

17 seasons of goals and more goals

After slotting home the penalty won by team mate Ansu Fati in the first half of the win against Villarreal, Leo Messi has now also scored in each of those 17 seasons as a blaugrana. The first of his 635 goals in 723 matches came way back in May 2005 against Albacete at Camp Nou and since then it has been an avalanche that is still yet to be stopped. 

Neither Xavi nor Rexach can boast of scoring in each of their seasons as a blaugrana, a feat only within reach of the Argentine who knows no boundaries when it comes to breaking records.