MADRID (Reuters) – World Player of the Year Lionel Messi scored his 300th official goal for Barcelona when he pounced for an equaliser to level the score at 1-1 in Granada in La Liga on Saturday.

The Argentina striker raced in to score after Granada keeper Tono could only parry a Cesc Fabregas shot in the 50th minute.

Barcelona's Lionel Messi (R) gestures after failing to score near Granada's Inigo Lopez during their Spanish first division soccer match at Los Carmenes stadium in Granada February 16, 2013. REUTERS/Pepe Marin

Messi, Barca’s all-time leading scorer, notched his 36th of the league campaign and has scored 300 goals in 365 official matches for the club.

The former youth-team player has now netted in a record 14 consecutive league matches, helping the La Liga leaders to pull 12 points clear of second-placed Atletico Madrid before Saturday’s encounter.

(Reporting by Mark Elkington, editing by Alison Wildey)

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