Lionel Messi Tribute May Be Staged at Real Madrid's Bernabeu, Says LFP President

Lionel Messi is just three goals from beating Telmo Zarra's historic record of 251 La Liga strikes. His next two domestic matches come against Eibar and Real Madrid, throwing up the possibility that he may surpass the record at the Bernabeu.

Javier Tebas, president of the Spanish professional football league, has suggested tribute could be paid on Madrid's turf if the achievement arrives during El Clasico. Tebas questions why this would be a problem and indicates the division needs to pay homage to what would be an incredible achievement by Messi.

Marca's Mari Carmen Torres reports a perhaps rhetorical question from Tebas, who said, "Why can't we pay tribute to Messi at the Bernabeu?"

Further comments were posted by AS:

"

I am thinking of ideas but the homage has to be a tribute that lasts forever. We must never forget it in La Liga, it should always stay with us. If the time comes and he beats the record we will have to reflect upon it because it will be an historic moment.

"

Gonzalo Arroyo Moreno/Getty Images

Most interestingly, "Tebas hasn't ruled out the extraordinarily interesting step of stopping the match for a few moments" when the record is broken, reported by Heath Chesters of Inside Spanish Football. Here's a quick look at how the La Liga all-time goalscoring charts currently stand:

Position	Player	Goals
1	Telmo Zarra	251
2	Lionel Messi	249
3	Hugo Sanchez	234

Such a situation would certainly test the resolve of Madrid fans, especially considering Messi will have just netted a potentially match-defining strike against their team.

These fixtures are heated enough, but it's unlikely thousands of Madrid supporters are going to take kindly to celebrating the achievement of a player who has defined the success of rival club Barcelona over the last decade.

Football writer Rik Sharma imagines a scenario that could arrive prior to the Clasico date on Oct. 25:

Messi's inevitable achievements undoubtedly deserve to be celebrated, but it makes little sense for anyone involved to stage such a mid-game party at the Bernabeu. The player will undoubtedly wish to celebrate in front of his home fans, a mutual feeling after the hours many have spent flocking to see his career unfold at the Camp Nou.

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Does Tebas really want to create a situation in which Messi's record could be overruled by jeers?

Let's not forget Cristiano Ronaldo—Messi's eternal measuring stick—could be on the pitch when he nets the pivotal goal. Will Madrid fans take kindly to watching their star be forced to applaud the success of his rival? Will the players risk injury or go through a full warm-up when the match restarts?

The upcoming Clasico fixture already has enough sideshow. Luis Suarez is set to make his first competitive appearance for the Blaugrana after his four-month ban for biting concludes. His divisive character is likely to fuel a tense atmosphere that always threatens to bubble over when the two sides meet.

It seems unnecessary to pay tribute in a potentially hostile cauldron when Barca face Celta Vigo in Catalonia just a week later.

Of course, a Bernabeu tribute could throw up surprising results. In 2005, Ronaldinho received a standing ovation from Los Blancos fans after putting on a show of excellence in the Spanish capital. Madrid followers recognised stunning football and appreciated it, despite the destruction of their team.

It would be interesting to see if they reacted similarly to Messi's feat.

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The Argentinian has taken nigh on 10 years to obliterate the record. It would be an injustice to rush the tribute in front of fans who arguably value him the least of any in world football.

Messi's final La Liga goals tally is likely to stand the test of time, but if Tebas is to get his wish and stage a tribute that does the same, he'd be wise to make alternative arrangements.