Finborough School and Witnesham Wasps hot-shot striker Alfie Bickers eclipses Agentina legend Lionel Messi’s record goals run at Barcelona

There may be worlds apart in terms levels of competition and stature but a Suffolk schoolboy is celebrating breaking through a record goals run set by his idol Lionel Messi.

Finborough School student Alfie Bickers, 12, took great joy and much adulation from his coaches in recently passing the eight time Ballon d'Or winner’s record for the number of consecutive games in which he has scored.

Argentina’s World Cup-winning star Messi holds the all-time record for the longest scoring streak across Europe’s big five leagues, having netted in 21 straight matches for Barcelona during their 2012/13 La Liga campaign.

The player who now struts his stuff in the USA for Inter Miami in the MLS fired in a staggering 39 goals across a period spanning from November 2012 right though until May 2013, including a four-goal haul against Osasuna.

As the goals continued to fly in for Bickers across his matches with Finborough School and his club side Witnesham Wasps, it was a record the Year 8 pupil, who currently plays at under-13s level, began to hone in on.

And the hot-shot striker recently scored in his 22nd consecutive match, while another registered at the weekend took him to an amazing 23.

In total, he has hit 41 goals now since the run – not elligible for an official record, of course – which began in March last year playing U12s.

He said: “I felt relieved as it’s taken me a long time to get there, I had to believe all the way through.”

Finborough School football coach Paul Grainger, who has managed at a number of senior Thurlow Nunn League clubs, said “We started looking at what the record was when he reached 14 consecutive games as we thought it was quite unusual and we have kept count since.

“It is a remarkable run meaning he has not failed to score in a match he has played since March 2023.

“He has worked really hard and has a great variety to his game now, two-footed, quick, strong and lethal in front of goal.

“More importantly, he’s a great character to work with.

“Alfie has a huge future in football if he carries on as he is now.”

Where his footballing journey will take him, no one currently knows, but for now Alfie is certainly enjoying being mentioned in the same sentence as one of the greatest players of all-time.