Madrid: Lionel Messi clinched an eighth La Liga title for Barcelona in 11 seasons on Saturday as he scored the only goal in a 1-0 win at home to Levante.
The Argentine star struck his league-leading 34th goal of the campaign after coming off the bench for the second half to help Barca wrap up the title with three games remaining.
Barca hold a nine-point lead over second-placed Atletico Madrid, but the Catalans cannot be overtaken thanks to their superior head-to-head record. It is Barca 26th league title and nudges them closer to Real Madrid record of 33 in Spain.
“To win the title with a distance and gap is difficult with the rivals we have. We done it two years in a row,” Barca coach Ernesto Valverde told Movistar. “We happy and to see people enjoying it makes us proud. But we still have challenges ahead.”
