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    Messi passes Pele's goal milestone

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    Updated 0230 GMT (1030 HKT) November 12, 2012

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    Lionel Messi, center, celebrates with Barcelona teammates Cesc Fabregas, left, and Xavi Hernandez after matching Pele's 75 goals in a calendar year.
    Photos: Messi moves past Pele milestone
    Messi magic – Lionel Messi, center, celebrates with Barcelona teammates Cesc Fabregas, left, and Xavi Hernandez after matching Pele's 75 goals in a calendar year.
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    The Argentina star then moved past the Brazil legend with his second goal of the match against Mallorca, which left Messi nine short of the best tally for a year held by Germany's Gerd Muller.
    Photos: Messi moves past Pele milestone
    Second best – The Argentina star then moved past the Brazil legend with his second goal of the match against Mallorca, which left Messi nine short of the best tally for a year held by Germany's Gerd Muller.
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    The 25-year-old has had a new celebration since the birth of his first child, son Thiago, earlier this month.
    Photos: Messi moves past Pele milestone
    Proud dad – The 25-year-old has had a new celebration since the birth of his first child, son Thiago, earlier this month.
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    Messi is in line to win a fourth successive world player of the year award in January. Pele presented him with the Ballon d'Or at the start of this year.
    Photos: Messi moves past Pele milestone
    Award winner – Messi is in line to win a fourth successive world player of the year award in January. Pele presented him with the Ballon d'Or at the start of this year.
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    Pele scored 75 goals in 1958, when he launched onto the football scene as a 17-year-old and helped Brazil win that year's World Cup.
    Photos: Messi moves past Pele milestone
    Golden boot – Pele scored 75 goals in 1958, when he launched onto the football scene as a 17-year-old and helped Brazil win that year's World Cup.
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    That feat was surpassed in 1972 by Muller, who scored 85 goals as West Germany won the European Championship and his club Bayern Munich lifted the Bundesliga title.
    Photos: Messi moves past Pele milestone
    Goal machine Gerd – That feat was surpassed in 1972 by Muller, who scored 85 goals as West Germany won the European Championship and his club Bayern Munich lifted the Bundesliga title.
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    Story highlights

    • Lionel Messi scores twice as Barcelona beat Mallorca 4-2 on Sunday
    • Argentine forward moves past Pele's landmark 75 goals in a calendar year
    • He now has nine more matches to beat the record set by Gerd Muller in 1972
    • Messi's rival Cristiano Ronaldo suffers eye injury in Real Madrid victory
    The goals just keep flowing for Lionel Messi, who on Sunday surpassed soccer legend Pele's mark of 75 in a calendar year to help Barcelona bounce back from a rare defeat.
    The Argentina star netted twice in the 4-2 win at Mallorca that kept the Catalans three points clear in Spain's La Liga, leaving him just nine short of Gerd Muller's all-time record.
    The 25-year-old, who became a first-time father earlier this month, was able to put a bit more enthusiasm into his new thumb-sucking celebration than when he scored late in the shock midweek Champions League loss to Scottish side Celtic.
    "Leo continually breaks records. His goal tally is spectacular," said Barca manager Tito Vilanova, who has yet to experience a domestic league defeat after his first 11 matches in charge, equaling the best start to a season set by Real Madrid.
    "It takes other great players seven or eight seasons to score the amount of goals he scores in one season. Also, some of his goals are absolute beauties."