Messi surpasses Samitier as the Barça player with the most Copa del Rey matches played

This Wednesday, in Vallecas, Leo Messi has surpassed Barça legend, Josep Samitier, in the list of FC Barcelona players with the most matches played in the history of the Copa del Rey. Messi now has 76 appearances in the competition, one more than the player of exactly a century ago.

In these 76 Copa del Rey matches, Messi has scored 53 goals, a figure that is only surpassed by Samitier himself (64 goals). However, the Argentine is ahead of Samitier in terms of titles. Messi has won six, as have Sergio Busquets, Gerard Piqué and Andrés Iniesta, which is a record beaten only by Agustín Gainza (seven), a player from the 40s and 50s at Athletic Club.

Busquets and Piqué, close to the Top 5

Behind Messi (76 games played) and Samitier (75) are other legends of the club; Andrés Iniesta (73), Vicenç Piera (71), Xavi Hernández (70) and Josep Segarra (69). Not too far away from the top five are two players from the current squad: Sergio Busquets (66) and Gerard Piqué (61).