FC Barcelona superstar Lionel Messi is about to become the all-time leading goal scorer in Spanish La Liga as he is on the verge of breaking Telmo Zarra's record that has been standing since 1955.
Messi scored his 249th goal on Saturday, which put him two goals away from breaking Zarra's 60-year record. The Barcelona superstar will likely break the record in their upcoming game against Eibar on Oct. 18, Real Madrid on Oct. 25 and Celta Vigo on Nov. 11.
Telmo Zarra's daughter, Carmen, said in a recent interview with Catalunya Radio that they are not bothered by the fact that the longstanding record of his father is about to be broken,
"No, it does not bother us," Zarra said via ESPN FC. "Not at all. The record had to be broken. My father retired from football in 1953-54. Almost 60 years have passed since then. Now the time has come for someone to break it."
Carmen Zarra, whose father only played for Athletic Bilbao for his entire career, said that they would have preferred a player from his father's former team to break the record, but she added that Messi is a very deserving successor.
"I would have liked it to have been someone from Athletic," Carmen Zarra added. "But for sure my father would have been delighted with Messi, because he seems a very noble person on and off the pitch. He behaves himself very laudably."
Aside from the all-time scoring record, Telmo Zarra's hat-trick record of 22 trebles is also set to be broken after Ronaldo had his 22nd hat trick on Sunday, but Carmen Zarra said that it doesn't erase the fact that she admires Messi over the Portugal international.
"I like Messi a lot more as a player and as a person, without going any further," Carmen Zarra said when asked who he thinks is the better player. "I am not going to say more. I like more how he behaves on the pitch. I see Messi playing and I like to follow him. Cristiano Ronaldo gets to goal well, he has a lot of power and you must fear him, but the way I am I like Leo."
