Lionel Messi scored the 644th of his Barcelona career to break a Pele record nearly half a century old

• Lionel Messi scored the 644th goal of his FC Barcelona career on Tuesday night to break Brazilian legend Pele's record for the most ever goals scored for a single club.
• Messi scored Barcelona's third goal in a 3-0 win over Real Valladolid in what was his 749th competitive game for the club.
• Pele scored 643 goals in 656 games for Santos between 1956 and 1974.
• "When I started playing soccer I never thought I would break any records," Messi said on Instagram after achieving the feat. "And even less the one that I achieved today."

Lionel Messi scored the 644th goal of his FC Barcelona career on Tuesday night to break Brazilian legend Pele's record for the most ever goals scored for a single club, which has stood for 46 years.

Messi scored Barcelona's third goal in a 3-0 win over Real Valladolid at the Estadio Jose Zorrilla in his 749th competitive game for the club.

Pele scored 643 goals in 656 games for Santos between 1956 and 1974.

—FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) December 22, 2020

"When I started playing soccer I never thought I would break any records," Messi said on Instagram after his team's win. "And even less the one that I achieved today."

He continued: "I can only thank everyone who helped me over the years, my teammates, my family, my friends and everyone who supports me every day."

On Saturday, after Messi equaled Pele's record with a goal in a 2-2 draw versus Valencia, the Brazilian congratulated the Argentine with a post of his own.

"When your heart overflows with love, it is difficult to change your path. Like you, I know what it's like to love wearing the same shirt every day. Like you, I know that there is nothing better than the place we feel at home," he said.

"Congratulations on your historic record, Lionel. But above all, congratulations on your beautiful career in [Barcelona].

"Stories like ours, of loving the same club for so long, unfortunately will be increasingly rare in football. I admire you very much," he continued.

Pele spent the final two years of his playing career away from Santos after opting to join the New York Cosmos in 1975.

Messi could yet do the same, with the 33-year-old free to talk to other clubs as of January following a turbulent summer that saw him try to force a move away from the Camp Nou by handing in a transfer request.

Read more:

Lionel Messi has been 'repeatedly' lied to by Barcelona, but won't leave Spain if he gets the right offer, the favorite to be the club's next president says

Lionel Messi snubbed Cristiano Ronaldo in his vote for the top 3 players in world soccer, as Robert Lewandowski wins FIFA's top prize

Neymar says he wants more than anything for Lionel Messi to move to Paris, and that it must happen 'next season'