Lionel Messi's Barcelona Goal Scoring Record In Doubt

Lionel Messi's goal scoring record for a calendar year is in doubt, and will not be recognised by FIFA, the BBC are reporting. On Monday, we reported that the diminutive Argentine had broken Germany Legend Gerd Mueller's 40 year old record for most goals scored in a calendar year. Messi scored twice against La Liga side Real Betis on Sunday to first equal and then beat the former Bayern Munich star's tally of 85, set in 1972. He has since added further to that tally by scoring twice against FC Cordoba to secure a 2-0 win in the first leg of the Copa Del Rey, taking his record for 2012 to a sensational 88 goals. However, the Zambian Football Association has rained all over the Argentine's parade by claiming Godfrey Chitalu scored 107 times in 1972. They say they will provide FIFA with evidence of the former Kabwe Warriors striker's goal scoring exploits and if accurate, that would eclipse both Mueller and Messi's records. "We have this record, which has been recorded in Zambian football, but unfortunately it has not been recorded in world football," a Zambia FA spokesperson told the Zambian website Soccer Laduma.

"Even as the world has been looking at Lionel Messi's record, breaking Gerd Müller's, the debate and discussion back here has been why Godfrey's goals are not being recognised."

Football's World Governing Body responded by confirming Messi's tally of 88 goals in a year isn't an official FIFA record, but have indicated they wouldn't be ratifying Chitalu's record either, because it only collects statistics from the international competitions it runs, and not records from club football around the globe. Spokesman Alex Stone explained to BBC Sport:

"We don't have a database which details every football game played in every country from around the world since day one of their formation. It's certainly nothing to do with bias - if we can confirm records from our tournaments we like doing that. It's the sort of data fans and the media like to see."

On Messi overhauling Mueller's record, Stone added:

"It's a record where someone in the media obviously collected statistics from somewhere and noticed Messi was about to pass that record."

Godfrey Chitalu was voted Zambian footballer of the year a record five times. He died in the 1993 Zambia national football team air disaster, which claimed the lives of all 30 people on board including FAZ president Michael Mwape and 18 players. Should Chitalu's record be recognised by FIFA? Let us know in the comment section below.