Next Up for Messi: 500 Goals for Barca and Argentina (Video)

 Watch Messi's craziest goals of 2015

With a fifth world player of the year award safely tucked away in the trophy cabinet, Lionel Messi can set his sights on one of the next milestones in his remarkable career: reaching 500 goals for club and country.

The Barcelona and Argentina forward can add to his jaw-dropping tally of 479 in 609 official games -- 430 for Barca and 49 for his national team -- in Sunday's La Liga match at home to Athletic Bilbao.

The 28-year-old from Rosario, who picked up the FIFA Ballon d'Or on Monday, is looking close to his best following a two-month injury layoff late last year and netted a hat-trick when second-placed Barca crushed Granada 4-0 at the Nou Camp last weekend in their most recent outing in Spain's top flight.

He has nine goals in 13 La Liga games this season, six behind leading marksmen and Barca team mates Neymar and Luis Suarez, who have 15 in 16 and 17 appearances respectively. [Source]

Messi's Ridiculous Goal (Video)

Watch 5 time Ballon d'Or winner Lionel Messi curl home from way out into a small goal to the delight of Japanese fans.

Is 2015 Messi's Best Ballon D'Or Win Ever?

Five-time Ballon d'Or winner, Barcelona forward Lionel Messi 

Messi endured a relative dip in form but bounced back in style in 2015 to win his 5th Balloon D'Or. But is this his best win ever? His masterful performances helped Barcelona to yet another Champions League win, with Messi instrumental in seeing off Manchester City, Paris St Germain and Bayern Munich. Barca also won La Liga, with Messi scoring 43 goals in the 2014/15 season and topping the assists table too, but it was his opening goal in the Copa del Rey final that was perhaps his most memorable individual moment of 2015.

2012

Guardiola's final year in charge of Barca saw the club lose their grip on La Liga, but the goals kept coming for Messi. He netted an astonishing 50 of them in the 2011/12 league season. Messi was also top scorer in the Champions League for a fourth consecutive season, netting five times in one game against Bayer Leverkusen, but missed a crucial penalty in a semi-final defeat to Chelsea.

2011

Barca won La Liga again in the 2010/11 season with Messi scoring 31 goals and also providing 18 assists, but the little magician's year will be best remembered for his Champions League heroics. He was the top scorer in the competition for a third successive season as Barcelona lifted the trophy at Wembley. He starred in a semi-final win over Real Madrid before delivering a man of the match performance against Manchester United in the final. [Source]

2015 Player of the Year: Messi, Neymar, Ronaldo?

Here's the breakdown:

Messi has won the award four times, having been beat out by Cristiano Ronaldo twice. The Argentinian superstar led Barcelona to a La Liga, Champions League and Copa del Rey last season, scoring 52 goals in the 2014/2015 season.

Ronaldo wants a third Ballon d'Or after 2013 and 2014 wins. But he has a tough hill to climb after a less-than-stellar season. He scored 57 goals in 2014/15.

Neymar, the youngest of the trio, scored 46 goals in the 2014/15 season, and took the lead during his teammate Messi's injury absence. The Brazilian has been a key member of Barcelona's powerful goal-scoring trio, Messi-Suarez-Neymar, dubbed MSN.

The Ballon d'Or ceremony takes place Monday, Jan. 11 in Zurich, Switzerland.