The scary thing is that Lionel Messi still has years to go. At just 27 years old, he became the all-time top scorer in Spanish football history, scoring a brilliant hat-trick to cement his place in the record books above Telmo Zarra.
Messi began the game on 250 goals, one behind the former Athletic Bilbao striker. He ended it on 253, putting paid to the last few weeks of wondering just how and when he would eventually become, inarguably, the greatest goalscorer La Liga has ever known.
Of course, Messi is so much more than a goalscorer. Sevilla found that out the hard way on Saturday night, with the Argentine the heartbeat of a Barcelona side which didn’t trip up in a potentially tricky clash against Unai Emery’s high-flying Andalusians, moving back to second place, two points behind Real Madrid.
The Nou Camp chanted his name, his team-mates threw him up into the air, giving him the bumps. Messi walked towards the tunnel, clutching the match ball. Before he was allowed to leave, the Barcelona team stood by his side, watching a video of his goals and clips of his former team-mates and coaches hailing him.
Messi looked taken aback, almost sheepish as some of his greatest moments were played out to the 78,000 spectators. But he also looked happy. Despite his comments earlier this week, suggesting his future may lie elsewhere, it’s almost impossible to see him leaving his home here. The other Barcelona players gave him a guard of honour as he left the field.
By contrast, Luis Suarez is still searching for his first Barcelona goal and was denied by Sevilla goalkeeper Beto when he raced on to a clipped through ball. The striker switched positions with Messi after 15 minutes, taking the centre-forward role while the Argentine moved to the right.
Messi's position is never easy to describe, as he drifts inside when he fancies, and on one such excursion he was knocked to the ground by Ever Banega on the edge of the box. It was a cheap free-kick to give away and Messi made Sevilla pay a hefty price. He arrowed the ball into the top left corner, leaving Beto clutching at thin air.
The scoreboard lit up with a message to congratulate Messi on reaching Zarra's all-time record and the relief on the Barcelona legend's face was clear for the world to see. Relief for having matched the record, relief even for having scored for the first time in La Liga for over a month. Neither obstacle was likely to last long in the face of this footballing giant.
The last few weeks have not been a happy time for Barcelona. A couple of defeats, combined with a poor performance away at Almeria have led to a lot of questions being asked about the coach’s tactics and methods.
There were questions being asked just a minute into the second half. Vitolo got down the left and fired the ball across. Barcelona’s on loan midfielder Denis Suarez battled with Claudio Bravo for the loose ball, which cannoned off the unfortunate Jordi Alba and into the net
But before the stadium had a chance to whistle its displeasure in the usual fashion, Barcelona were back in front. Xavi curled in a free-kick from the left and Neymar rose highest to nod home his 11th league goal of the season.
While Messi is the superstar and Suarez is the star signing, Neymar’s own star has been rising higher this season. The Brazilian has become far more effective in front of goal this term, spurred on by his impressive World Cup campaign.
Gerard Pique's exile from the Barcelona side was ended by Enrique for this match. His last appearance was in the Clasico defeat at the Bernabeu, where he gave away a penalty. Whether he was missing because of some weak performances or a string of disciplinary offences has never been clarified by the Asturian coach, but regardless, the punishment now appears to be over.
Pique won't get away scot free with his role in the Sevilla goal, with both the Spaniard and Dani Alves culpable of switching off, far more to blame than the actual player who put through his own net.
Barcelona had dominated the first half, with only poor finishing and a couple of agricultural Sevilla challenges preventing them from further increasing their lead. A brilliant Beto save from Neymar on the stroke of half-time was the closest they came to doing so, while Suarez was denied after Messi had played a sublime ball to Alba, who sought out the Uruguayan.
While Suarez has had trouble finding the net, the first few weeks of his Barcelona career - after his lengthy suspension for biting ended - have been fruitful. He has created several opportunities for his team-mates, setting up both Barca goals in a man-of-the-match second half substitute appearance against Almeria. And he made another one here, eking out the perfect cross for Ivan Rakitic to head home from close range.
The Croatian diligently finished off the chance but looked mortified at having scored against his former side. He was the star performer in Sevilla’s run to the Europe League final and eventual triumph last season, although his start to life at Barcelona has been mixed.
But whatever problems there are at Barcelona will have to be analysed another day. Messi made sure of that. He surged in to meet Neymar’s cross at full-length and poke home from a yard, to become the all-time top goalscorer in La Liga history. If he hadn’t reached it, Suarez would have had an easy tap in. But Messi does reach things that he shouldn’t. No player will overtake him for many, many years. And at only 27, he’s got plenty more goals to add to his tally.
He began the task immediately. Messi’s third goal was the best of the night, a sprawling dribble, cutting from right to left, a quick-fire one two with Neymar, a light touch to take it out of his feet, and then one of those low, placed drives from distance that he makes look so fantastically easy. That's what Messi does. He makes things look fantastically easy - even the impossible.
