Football legend Lionel Messi has contributed to a worthy cause by giving away the shoes he wore while scoring his 644th career goal to a charity for auction. The money raised from the sale will be used to help children who are fighting against cancer.
Messi came through for Barcelona in their late December 2020 game against Valladolid by scoring the game-winning goal in a 3-0 victory. This was no ordinary goal for Messi, as it marked his 644th goal in 749 appearances for Barcelona. With this impressive feat, he surpassed football great Pele’s previous record of 643 goals set in 656 appearances for Santos.
Pele had set a remarkable record over a period of 19 years starting from 1956 to 1974. He has managed to score an impressive 470 goals in 412 matches in the Sao Paulo Championship and another 100 goals in 173 matches in the Brazilian Championship. In the Copa Libertadores, a South American competition, Pele scored 17 goals in just 15 matches.
According to Christie’s, the shoes worn by Messi during his 644th goal for Barcelona are expected to be sold at an auction for around $72,000 to $95,000.
