La Liga: Barcelona, Messi end year with records

Argentine soccer star Lionel Messi scored in his 500th match for Spanish giants Barcelona to help them ease past Real Betis 4-0 on Wednesday and ensure they kept the lead at the Spanish league tables.

The four goals scored took its year’s tally to 180, bettering Madrid’s milestone of 178 from 2014.

“It was a spectacular year and we wanted to finish it in the same way,” Messi said. “It will be complicated to better this, but like always we will try to do so.”

The Catalans lead Atletico Madrid on goal difference and Real Madrid by two points as well as having a game in hand on their rivals from the Spanish capital.

And having won the Champions League, La Liga, Copa del Rey, UEFA Super Cup and the Club World Cup in the past 12 months, Barca also set the new record of 180 goals in a calendar year.