2015 has been another hugely productive year for Lionel Messi, one in which the Argentinian smashed yet more records in helping Barcelona win their second treble. The only blemish on his copybook was La Albiceleste’s defeat to Chile in the Copa America final, though Messi has the chance to end the year on a high note by winning the FIFA Club World Cup Japan 2015 later this month.
Nominated for what could turn out to be his fifth FIFA Ballon d’Or, La Pulga has struck up a fearsome three-pronged partnership with Uruguayan striker Luis Suarez and Brazilian livewire Neymar, who has himself been shortlisted for the award. The trio have scored more goals between them in the first 11 months of 2015 than any team in Europe.
Since being redeployed on the right flank, where he started his career, Messi seems to have rediscovered his best form. FIFA.com picks out three highlights of what has been another stratospheric year for the irrepressible Argentinian.
Barcelona 5-0 Levante: a new league record for assists
15 February 2015Messi usually makes the headlines for his finishing prowess, but 2015 has also seen him continue to excel as a provider. The Barça No10 turned in another stellar goalscoring performance on Matchday 23 of La Liga against Levante, helping himself to a hat-trick. The rout began, however, with the Argentinian conjuring up a record 106th league assist, taking him past the previous best set by Luis Figo. It was no ordinary piece of play either, with Messi gliding in from the right flank to clip a pinpoint cross over the top of the Levante defence and into the path of Neymar, who found the back of the net with a first-time lob over the keeper.
Barcelona 3-0 Bayern Munich: fast route to the final
6 May 2015Pep Guardiola sounded the warning in the lead-up to this UEFA Champions League semi-final first leg: “The way he’s playing at the moment, there’s no stopping him. You can’t defend against talent like that.” As if to prove his former coach right, Messi needed just 17 second-half minutes to put Barça on course for another Champions League final appearance.
With the clock running down and the score locked at 0-0, La Pulga worked his magic to put his side ahead with a low shot from the edge of the area. Bayern were still coming to terms with that blow when the Argentinian popped up again to score the goal of the night, wrong-footing Jerome Boateng with a delicious piece of skill before clipping the ball over Manuel Neuer.
“It just happened that way. I decided to go right because I felt he was thinking I’d go left on to my stronger foot,” said Messi, describing the run that caused Boateng to tumble to the floor. Just for good measure, he played the pass that allowed Neymar to round off the scoring in injury time. 
Argentina 6-1 Paraguay: the ace in the Albiceleste pack1 July 2015As was the case in 2014, Messi came to within an inch of winning a major title with Argentina and ending a trophy drought that now stretches back 22 years. As it turned out, La Albiceleste went down on penalties to hosts Chile in a tightly contested Copa America final, a final the Argentinians reached thanks in no small part to another virtuoso display from their captain in the semis against Paraguay.
Though they had struggled in their run to the last four, having been made to work hard in the group phase before being taken to penalties by Colombia in the quarter-finals, Messi and Co hit their stride against La Albirroja. The skipper may have failed to get on the scoresheet, but he had a hand in every one of his side’s six goals, either providing the final pass or creating space for his team-mates, as he did with a memorably mazy dribble that ended with two Paraguayan defenders running into each other in a luckless attempt to halt his inexorable progress.