Madrid, Nov 12 (IANS): Spanish football giants, Barcelona announced that Lionel Messi, the four-time world player of the year, has had a leg injury and needs six to eight weeks to recover.

That would rule Messi out until about Christmas, when the Spanish league takes its annual winter break. Messi probably won't play football again until 2014, reports Xinhua.

The Argentina forward sustained a left hamstring tear Sunday in Barcelona's 4-1 victory at Real Betis, the latest setback for a player whose reign as the world's best footballer had been largely injury free until the end of last season.

A hamstring problem forced him to miss crucial games then as well, and Barcelona struggled without him.

This season, the 26-year-old forward hurt his left thigh in August and then was sidelined for three weeks with a small muscle tear in his right thigh sustained in late September.

Barcelona lead the Spanish league but will now be without Messi for up to eight games, including its last two Champions League group games against Ajax and Celtic, four Spanish League matches and the two legs of the Copa del Rey's round of 32.

Despite his many injury problems this season, Messi has scored 14 goals in 16 games.