Messi scored twice on free kicks as Barcelona defeated Sevilla in the UEFA Super Cup, 5-4 (after extra time), to kick off the 2015–16 campaign
In a 1-1 away draw at Roma on September 16, he made history by becoming the player with the fewest appearances (100) in the UEFA Champions League.
He returned to the field on November 21 and played as a substitute in Barcelona's 4-0 victory over rival Real Madrid in El Clásico, which was played on the road.
As Barcelona defeated River Plate 3-0 in Yokohama on December 20, Messi won the 2015 FIFA Club World Cup Final, earning his fifth club championship of the year.
On December 30, Messi scored in Barcelona's 4-0 home victory, marking his 500th game.
Messi set a record by taking home the FIFA Ballon d'Or a record fifth time in his career on January 11, 2016. In Barcelona's 7-0 victory over Valencia in the first leg of the Copa del Rey semi-final on February 3, he got a hat-trick.
Messi helped Suárez convert a penalty kick in a 6-1 league victory at home over Celta Vigo. While some praised it for having "a touch of creativity," others criticised it for being insulting to the rival.
Many supporters claim that the penalty ritual is based on the one performed by legendary Barça player Johan Cruyff in 1982 as he was battling lung cancer.