Lionel Messi has been showered with praise after establishing a new world record by scoring 86 goals in a calendar year.

Regardless of what you might think of calendar year as opposed to season-by-season records - our blogger Early Doors certainly did not approve

• you can't help doffing your cap to the diminutive Argentine for his
  goal tally. At the age of just 25 he is already a legend of the game,
  and even Gerd Mueller - the man whose record he took - has paid homage to him.

Yet it seems that Messi's latest entry in the footballing record
books might have to be scrubbed out: the Zambian FA have claimed that
one of their own legendary strikers put the Barca star's tally in the
shade way back in 1972.

Godfrey 'Ucar' Chitalu scored an astonishing 107 goals for Kitwe
United that year, the same year that Mueller hit the previous mark of

1. Yet while Muller was feted for his brilliance, Chitalu was not
   recognised outside his homeland and it is the German's record that has
   stood for the last 40 years.

After a glittering career on the pitch, Chitalu was awarded a FIFA
special award, and went on to become Zambia coach until he was
tragically killed in the 1993 plane crash that wiped out an entire generation of the national team's finest footballers.

The Zambian FA are now trying to bring Chitalu the recognition he
deserves for his achievement by trawling their archives for evidence of
the 107-goal haul.

"We have this record, which has been recorded in Zambian football,
but unfortunately it has not been recorded in world football," a
spokesman told the Soccer Laduma website.

"Even as the world has been looking at Lionel Messi's record,
breaking Gerd Mueller's, the debate and discussion back here has been
why Godfrey's goals are not being recognised.

"What we are doing is, we have commissioned an independent team
locally to go back into the archives and record minute by minute each of
those goals.

"The team that we have put together is going to calculate all of
those goals, recording whichever game or tournament they were scored in,
we will then send that to CAF and FIFA so that we can show that, while
Messi's record is there, while Mueller's record is there, the actual
record holder in terms of goals per calendar year is actually an
African, it's actually Godfrey Chitalu."

The Zambian FA have also reportedly contacted FIFA who said they had
heard of Chitalu's claim and are "checking on it internally".

why now?

hmm not sure, i could be way off.. but i kinda smell Pele in all of this. I feel like he has a part in bringing this up or talking to people about it

@MessiDona,

This isn't your thread.. Wait, what? Do I smell.. Oh..

^terrible diss. Your garbage, atleast learn to talk shiit before you do it

Someone are touched.. I know I'm not the guy to talk about this, but why did you reply to PuppetMaster like the thread was yours? Why am I even asking..

uhhh.... I didnt reply to anyone - ramaboy a fellow footyroomer/barca fan opened up a discussion and i put in my input/opinion.
You're a retard, stop talking... you cant even speak or understand english. 

How come you're so incredibly disrespectful? You say I can't speak or understand English? Well, I could find plenty of spelling mistakes in your empty thrash.

just to clarify thing i didnt ask ramaboy that question actually im curious why they brign this up when messi broke the record they could have claim it last year or 2-3 years ago? 

Because no-one would have cared, if it wasn't in danger of being broken. They chose now, because now everyone's talking about the record.

MULTI ACCOUNT SPOTTED,MULTI ACCOUNT SPOTTED,MULTI ACCOUNT SPOTTED,MULTI ACCOUNT SPOTTED,MULTI ACCOUNT SPOTTED,THE PROOF IS THERE,SCROLL UP

If it is true and that record stands then it's an up and down thing. It's crazy someone scored over 100 goals in a year but look at the level he was playing. Messi has done it playing in Spain and Europe. 

Exactly what I was hinting too, Jeffrey. They're both supporting Barca.. Nah, I'm not the one to accuse people, especially not for having multiple accounts.

isnt thhat more than enough proof?well i not want to accuse people too.We'll see what other people think

Aw for f*cks sake... now people think I am MessiDonna?? Golden I expect better from you but Hazard this is your dail job anyway

The difference between Messi and other players like Pelé, Gerd etc... is that they did amazing in their clubs, and gave IMPORTANT WINS for their national teams. Messi might have scored 4 or 3 times for Argentina, but he didn't give much for important matches. Like 2010 world cup. Sorry, but he was shit.

It is the same for Ronaldo.

God damnit, jeffrey and golden seriously how old are you guys ? i'm expected below 14 years old. 
From seeing your latest posts Jeff, you never have anything useful to say and ask redundant and useless discussions/questions all the time that have either been posted up before or answered.. And worst of all you make up random accusations like an attention seeking whoree. 
get a life a bro 

For all the people that think Golden multi accounts as well, there so no threat of him being exposed and since I'm his other half, this is not considered multi accounting. @expertfootball, I see you are an expert in football but are you an expert in astronomy as well? I think the stars say this is 2012 not 2010 or is it that you initially posted it in 2010 and the internet lag made it come today?

Flamengo is now claiming Zico scored 89 goals in the 70s

everyone is claiming that they have scored more goals than messi in a calendar year. i wouldnt be surprise if pele go on tv and declare i have scored more goals than messi in a calendar year which he did in 60s. 

^seriously dude i dont know why but i think pele has a part or influence in people making these claims. I wasnt pretty confident in this radical thought at first but pele of course would do anything to stop from his name going under messi. Now Zico from BRAZIL is claiming this too... hmm i may be way off but i smell a conspiracy