Messi posts heartfelt message after breaking Pele's one-club scoring record

Lionel Messi became the all-time top scorer for a single football club after scoring his 644th goal for Barcelona on Tuesday at Valladolid.

He surpasses Pele's all-time record of 643 goals in 19 seasons for Santos between 1956 and 1974.

In a heartfelt message on Instagram, Messi sent a note to his fans, family and friends.

"When I started playing football, I never thought I would break any records, especially the one I broke today, which was Pele's. I can only thank everyone who's helped me all these years, my teammates, my family, my friends, and everyone who supports me every day," Messi wrote.

Messi scored his first goal for Barcelona in 2015 and has played 17 seasons with the Catalans. He has won 10 La Liga titles and as many as four Champions League titles with the side.

Meanwhile, Pele also took to social media to congratulate Messi. 

"Congratulations on your historical record, Lionel. But above all, congratulations on your beautiful career at Barcelona. Stories like ours, of loving the same club for so long, unfortunately will be ever rarer in football. I admire you a lot," he wrote.