Messi surpasses Pele's record of 75 goals in calendar year

Magical Messi surpasses legendary Pele's mark of 75 goals in calendar year

Talismanic forward Lionel Messi surpassed soccer legend Pele's mark of 75 in a calendar year, as he scored twice against Mallorca on Sunday to help Barcelona bounce back from a rare defeat.

The Argentina star netted twice in the 4-2 win at Mallorca that kept the Catalans three points clear in Spain's La Liga, leaving him just nine short of Gerd Muller's all-time record.

The 25-year-old, who became a first-time father earlier this month, was able to put a bit more enthusiasm into his new thumb-sucking celebration than when he scored late in the shock midweek Champions League loss to Scottish side Celtic.

"Leo continually breaks records. His goal tally is spectacular," CNN quoted Barcelona manager Tito Vilanova, as saying. (ANI)