Messi went into the Group F game in Cyprus level on 71 goals with former Real Madrid forward Raul.
Luis Suarez had already opened the scoring with his first goal for the club when Messi diverted Rafinha's 38th-minute shot past the keeper.
Messi netted his second in the 58th-minute with a low right-foot finish before tapping home from close range.
Messi's records |
|
|---|---|
|
Champions League top scorer: 74 |
La Liga top scorer: 253 |
|
Barcelona's top goalscorer: 368 |
Most goals in a La Liga season: 50 |
|
Most goals in a season: 73 |
Most consecutive La Liga matches scored in: 21 |
|
Most Ballon d'Or titles: 4 |
Most goals in a single European Cup game: 5 (joint with Luiz Adriano) |
|
Most European Cup top scorer awards: 4 (with Gerd Muller) |
Most goals in Clasicos: 21 |
|
Most La Liga hat-tricks in a season: 8 |
Most goals in Club World Cup: 4 (held jointly with Denilson) |
|
Most goals in a calendar year: 91 |
|
"But the really relevant thing is that we took the three points.
"Barcelona played a great match."
It is Messi's second major record in four days, having scored a landmark 253rd Spanish top-flight goal with a hat-trick against Sevilla on Saturday.
Messi's latest achievement earned him glowing praise from his manager Luis Enrique.
"I'll say it again, he's the best ever in this game," said the former Spain midfielder.
Both teams finished with 10 men on Tuesday, Rafinha sent off for two bookable offences 20 minutes from time before Apoel Nicosia's Joao Guilherme followed him 14 minutes later, also for a second booking.
Group F
| Pld | Won | Pts | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Paris St-Germain |
5 |
4 |
13 |
|
Barcelona |
5 |
4 |
12 |
|
Ajax |
5 |
0 |
2 |
|
Apoel Nicosia |
5 |
0 |
1 |
It was Messi's 28th Barcelona hat-trick, and his fifth in the Champions League.
The Argentina international now has 74 Champions League goals in 91 appearances in the competition.
Raul's 71 goals came in 142 games.
Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo, who is expected to line up at Basel on Wednesday in the competition, has 70 goals.
Barcelona had already qualified for the knockout stages before their visit to Cyprus.
Enrique's side are second in Group F with one game to go.
But they will advance to the last 16 as group winners if they beat current group leaders Paris St-Germain at the Nou Camp on 10 December.
Luis Suarez scored his first Champions League goal for four years
Lionel Messi's previous hat-trick for Barcelona was against Real Madrid on 23 March
Kick-off between Apoel Nicosia and Barcelona was delayed slightly because of the smoke of a flare
Lineup, Bookings (6) & Substitutions (6)
Apoel Nicosia
- 78 Pardo
- 28 Sérgio
- 03 Leme Amorim Dismissed after an earlier booking
- 05 da Cruz Júnior Booked
- 15 Antoniades
- 08 Figueiras Gomes
- 26 Morais
- 16 Oliveira Franco (Djebbour - 74' )
- 46 Aloneftis (Efrem - 45' )
- 21 Manduca (De Vincenti - 63' )
- 09 Sheridan
Substitutes
- 06 Riise
- 07 Efrem
- 11 Alexandrou
- 22 Chiotis
- 23 Papazoglou
- 30 De Vincenti
- 79 Djebbour
Barcelona
- 01 ter Stegen
- 22 Dani Alves Booked
- 03 Piqué
- 15 Bartra
- 18 Alba (Adriano - 62' )
- 04 Rakitic (Xavi - 62' )
- 14 Mascherano
- 12 Alcántara do Nascimento Dismissed after an earlier booking
- 10 Messi
- 09 Suárez (Busquets - 77' )
- 07 Pedro
Substitutes
- 05 Busquets
- 06 Xavi
- 11 Neymar
- 13 Bravo
- 21 Adriano
- 24 Mathieu
- 31 El Haddadi
Ref: Gianluca Rocchi
Live Text Commentary
Full time
90:00 +0:29 Xavi (Barcelona) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
90:00 +0:29 Foul by Rafik Djebbour (APOEL Nicosia).
89:38 Dani Alves (Barcelona) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
89:38 Foul by Rafik Djebbour (APOEL Nicosia).
88:58 Attempt missed. Pedro (Barcelona) right footed shot from outside the box is high and wide to the left. Assisted by Xavi.
86:44 Goal scored
85:24 Foul by Cillian Sheridan (APOEL Nicosia).
84:50 Attempt missed. Lionel Messi (Barcelona) left footed shot from outside the box is close, but misses to the left from a direct free kick.
83:45 Dismissal
83:38 Foul by João Guilherme (APOEL Nicosia).
80:59 Lionel Messi (Barcelona) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
80:59 Foul by Carlao (APOEL Nicosia).
79:23 Dani Alves (Barcelona) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
79:23 Foul by Rafik Djebbour (APOEL Nicosia).
78:26 Marc Bartra (Barcelona) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Full Time Match ends, APOEL Nicosia 0, Barcelona 4.
90:00 +2:06 Full time
Full Time Second Half ends, APOEL Nicosia 0, Barcelona 4.
90:00 +1:38 Corner, Barcelona. Conceded by Marios Antoniades. 90:00 +0:29 Xavi (Barcelona) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
90:00 +0:29 Foul by Rafik Djebbour (APOEL Nicosia).
89:38 Dani Alves (Barcelona) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
89:38 Foul by Rafik Djebbour (APOEL Nicosia).
88:58 Attempt missed. Pedro (Barcelona) right footed shot from outside the box is high and wide to the left. Assisted by Xavi.
86:44 Goal scored
Goal!
Goal! APOEL Nicosia 0, Barcelona 4. Lionel Messi (Barcelona) right
footed shot from the left side of the six yard box to the centre of the
goal. Assisted by Pedro.
85:24 Sergio Busquets (Barcelona) wins a free kick in the defensive half. 85:24 Foul by Cillian Sheridan (APOEL Nicosia).
84:50 Attempt missed. Lionel Messi (Barcelona) left footed shot from outside the box is close, but misses to the left from a direct free kick.
83:45 Dismissal
Dismissal Second yellow card to João Guilherme (APOEL Nicosia) for a bad foul.
83:38 Pedro (Barcelona) wins a free kick in the attacking half. 83:38 Foul by João Guilherme (APOEL Nicosia).
80:59 Lionel Messi (Barcelona) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
80:59 Foul by Carlao (APOEL Nicosia).
79:23 Dani Alves (Barcelona) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
79:23 Foul by Rafik Djebbour (APOEL Nicosia).
78:26 Marc Bartra (Barcelona) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
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