Not even Erling Haaland, Kylian Mbappe, or Harry Kane can touch Lionel Messi: Inter Miami star keeps historic Barcelona record intact as top stars come up short

Erling Haaland, Kylian Mbappe, and Harry Kane — three of modern soccer’s most feared finishers — each had a chance to rewrite history in 2025. But even as their streaks grew and their form soared, one of Lionel Messi’s strongest and most impressive records remained untouched.

They’ve all tried. Erling Haaland, Kylian Mbappe, and Harry Kane — three of modern soccer’s most feared finishers — each had a chance to rewrite history in 2025. Their clubs, Manchester City, Real Madrid, and Bayern Munich, depend on them like few others. But even as their streaks grew and their form soared, one of Lionel Messi’s strongest and most impressive records remained untouched. More than a decade after he set it, the mark still stands tall, unbroken, and unmatched.

The 2025-26 season has offered plenty of fireworks — Haaland’s hat-tricks, Mbappe’s dominance in Madrid, and Kane’s ruthless form in Bavaria. Yet when all three stumbled within days of each other, the soccer world was reminded of one truth: Messi’s greatness exists on a different plane.

The Argentine has spent his twilight years continuing to rewrite record books across continents, but one of his most remarkable feats has turned into a barrier even the best of the next generation can’t climb. Back in the 2012-13 La Liga season, Lionel Messi didn’t just dominate — he transcended the sport. He scored in 21 consecutive league matches, the longest goalscoring streak in the history of Europe’s top divisions.

Across those 21 games, Messi netted 33 times and became the first player ever to score against every team in the same campaign. He finished the season with 46 league goals, guiding Barcelona to 100 points under Tito Vilanova. It was an era defined by his total mastery — four straight Ballons d’Or, 91 goals in a single calendar year, and a level of consistency that turned elite soccer into a personal playground.

To put it in perspective, the Premier League record for consecutive scoring games remains 11, set by Jamie Vardy in 2015-16 — exactly half of Messi’s feat. The closest anyone has come in Europe was Gerd Muller, who scored in 16 straight Bundesliga matches over half a century ago. Messi’s record sits alone, untouched and almost untouchable.

When greatness meets its ceiling

Erling Haaland’s goalscoring streak of 12 games ended abruptly when Manchester City fell 1-0 to Aston Villa — his twelfth consecutive match with a goal coming to an end in early October. “It was City’s first defeat since August 31,” reported BBC Sport, as Matty Cash’s fierce strike proved decisive. Haaland even bundled the ball into the net late on, only for the goal to be ruled out for offside. That miss didn’t just end his run — it ended any remaining hope that the Norwegian might touch Messi’s level this campaign.

Meanwhile, Kylian Mbappe’s own streak ended at 11 consecutive games after he failed to score against Juventus. The French superstar’s form for Real Madrid has been devastating —43 goals in 44 appearances in 2025— but not even that consistency was enough to threaten Messi’s reign.

Then there’s Harry Kane, whose run of 10 straight scoring games for Bayern Munich came to an end in a 3-0 win over Borussia Mönchengladbach. Despite firing 20 goals in his first 13 matches, the Englishman fell short, though his start to the season has been described as “career-best” by German media. Three elite strikers. Three record chases. All ending the same way.