Barcelona striker Lionel Messi said on Monday that he was awarded the top scorer for the fifth time by scoring 34 goals in the 2017-2018 season. "The current version is more competitive than ever, and that's good," he said.
"It's a good thing, I think competition in the Liga is more difficult than ever before, and nothing is easy," he said.
"Any team can defeat any other team, which is good for the Liga and for the spectators," he said as he received the award, organized by the sports daily Marca in Barcelona.
Messi, who also won the title of best player of the season, confirmed he recovered after breaking a brace during the 4-2 win over Sevilla on October 20 and being away for three weeks.
"It's true that I had some fear at the start of the game, but I was free from it as time went on," he said of his participation in Sunday's match against Real Betis.
Messi won the top scorer for the fifth time after 2010, 2012, 2013 and 2017, and joined the three legends Alfredo Di Stefano, Kenny and Mexican Hugo Sanchez.
Messi is currently the top scorer with fellow Uruguayan Luis Suarez (9 goals each). He may enter the Spanish championship's best history if he can win the trophy title for the sixth time, and the other legend of the Basque striker Telemo Zara between 1945 and 1953.
Messi has become the historic scorer of the Spanish league, scoring 392 goals in 428 games, scoring for the tenth season in the top 20 goals at least.
