After 21 long years of service, Barcelona have announced that they will finally part ways with Lionel Messi. Yes, you’ve read that correctly, the Catalans can no longer afford the mercurial superstar, and after several meetings, they have come to a mutual conclusion to not sign a new contract that could cause financial turmoil for the club in the long run. This is every Barcelona fan’s worst nightmare however, it is also a blessing in disguise. Messi would not be with Barca forever, and maybe it is time for the youngsters to take the spot.
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The 34-year-old who joined the Catalans when he was only 13, propelled himself, and the club towards unbelievable stardom but now, he is being forced to leave the club due to financial circumstances that he cannot control. The current board of directors, and the new president, Joan Laporta, are not to blame either. The president tried his best to keep him at the club, and a new contract was supposedly agreed upon as well. However, due to the strict rules and restrictions enforced by La Liga, they were unable to officially sign the player.
In his 21 years with the club, the player has scored almost 700 goals for the club, and to bring them down to 10 will be extremely difficult. There have been a number of magical moments for the player, and the flashiness of the goal will not be the only factor in this list. The impact of the goal will also be an important factor, thus you might find some less spectacular goals on this list as well.
Anyhow, today to pay tribute to the player, we will be looking at the top 10 best goals by the magician in La Liga, and other domestic cups. The player has won the league title 10 times, and has scored hundreds of goals in the tournament. However, only the best 10 can make it to the list, thus, without any further ado, here are our top 10 Lionel Messi goals in Spanish tournaments:
10) Barcelona Vs Real Madrid, 2008/09 (La Liga)
Lionel Messi scored two goals in the epic 6-2 victory over fierce rivals, Real Madrid, however, the second goal makes the list. Neither of the two goals were stunners, in fact, they were coolly placed in the net, without much effort. However, the weight of the second goal is what brings it to this list. The Catalans were the most dominant side in La Liga that season, and they ended the year with over 100 goals in total. However, an El Clasico is always a big occasion for all the players involved, and each of them wants to give their absolute best.
Thus, when Higuain opened the scoring for Los Blancos, the world went gray for the Catalans. However, Barca responded quickly with three goals in the first half itself. However, then Sergio Ramos found the second goal to make it 3-2 and the game was back on. Thiery Henry quickly restored their two goals lead with his second goal, and then Lionel Messi broke Madrid’s heart with the fifth goal of the game. The goal was beautifully set up by Xavi Hernandez, and with a little fake shot, Messi rooted Iker Casillas to his spot before he calmly found the bottom of the net.
Goal @ 0:58
9) Barcelona Vs Real Betis, 2019 (La Liga)
A more recent goal on this list, and a more memorable one, as it made it to the finals of the Puskas award. The Catalans were in no real trouble in this game, and the game was over by the third goal. Lionel Messi had scored two goals in the first half, one amazing freekick, and the other more of a simple finish from within the box. However, his third goal was absolutely magical. The Barca team were not playing under any pressure, and were looking to close out the game at 3-1; however, Messi came in to make the game much more memorable than a regular win.
The Catalans were still looking for another goal, and were trying to get the ball into the box. However, Betis’ defenders had crowded the penalty area, and getting through that seemed impossible. That’s when Lionel Messi converted a normal layup from Ivan Rakitic into one of the best goals he had ever scored. He just chipped the ball in from the edge of the box to go over the head of the goalkeeper, clip the underside of the crossbar, and land into the back of the net. It was a brilliant goal although the game was already won, and that is why it deserves to be on this list.
Goal @ 10:36
8) Barcelona Vs Málaga, 2009 (La Liga)
Another goal from the magical 2009 season was the one against Malaga. This was one of Messi’s most beautiful goals due to the way he received the ball. Messi is a short player, who does not really have the most aggressive and physical presence on the pitch. However, when a ball came in from Xavi Hernandez from the center, Messi jumped to chest the ball away from his marking man and then went on an amazing run that finally led to a goal.
The magician sprinted into the box, faked the man in front of him, brought the ball back onto his preferred left foot, and then banged the ball at the back of the net. It was the second goal in a 6-0 massacre however, the play was fantastic by Lionel Messi, and it is one of his most memorable solo goals. Even Pep Guardiola was shocked after seeing that goal, and if you see a video of that goal, you will be able to see the manager’s jaw drop open after witnessing the world’s best player in all his glory.
Goal @ 4:16
7) Barcelona Vs Sevilla, 2019 (La Liga)
One of Lionel Messi’s skills that has been criminally underrated is his ability to volley. His play is so focused upon his dribbling skills, and the media is so obsessed with making Messi a man who always ghosts past defenders, that they completely missed a fantastic volley scored by Messi in 2019 against Sevilla. The Catalans were 1-0 down by the 22 minutes when Messi gave away the ball to the opponents, and Jesus Navas calmly placed the ball beyond Marc Andre Ter Stegen.
Messi however, rectified his mistake a few minutes later by scoring one of the most stunning volleys we have ever seen. Another brilliant pass from Rakitic saw the ball land perfectly for the Argentine, and his connection with the ball was absolutely perfect. Messi fired the ball into the top left corner, and the keeper had no chance. It was not a typical Messi goal however, it showed the amount of technical skill he has, and thus ends up on this list.
Goal @ 8:11
6) Barcelona Vs Real Zaragoza, 2010 (La Liga)
Another one of Lionel Messi’s amazing solo runs was against Real Zaragoza in the amazing 2009/10 season. Messi was on fire in that season, scoring over 50 goals in all competitions, and this was one of his bests. The Catalans were winning by only one goal at the 65th minute, and they were desperately looking for that second goal. They were being frustrated by the opponents however, the Argentine decided that he would take matters into his own hands.
This was not a goal set up by anyone else, in fact, Messi did all the work to score this goal. He dispossessed one of Zaragoza’s players in the midfield, then avoided a sliding tackle beautifully before spitting towards the box. He then dummied their last defender twice before placing the ball at the bottom right-hand corner. This was a show of Messi’s four footballing skills: awareness, tackling, dribbling, and shooting. It was a perfect goal, and it couldn’t have been any better. Barcelona went on to win the game 4-2.
Goal @ 1:10
5) Barcelona Vs Osasuna, 2020 (La Liga)
Back to a more recent year, Lionel Messi’s goal against Osasuna was not a very significant one in terms of the result, as the Catalans were already winning 3-0, however, the celebration gives this goal a spot on this list. In terms of the actual goal, it was actually a fantastic finish from outside the box; however, the celebration is what actually made it so special. Football’s god and Messi’s idol, Diego Maradona had passed away a few days prior to this match, and the Barcelona player had a celebration tribute planned for him.
As soon as he scored the goal, he revealed that he was wearing a Newell’s Old Boys shirt which used to belong to Maradona. The club is symbolic for both of them, as both of them played for that club once, and Messi first saw Diego with his own eyes, while the legend was wearing that shirt. It was an amazing tribute that really connected the older generation of football with the younger ones, and it really shows that you can be immortal through the memories that you create.
Goal @ 24:15
4) Barcelona Vs Athletic Bilbao, 2015 (Copa Del Rey)
Lionel Messi’s goal in the 2015 Copa del Rey final against Athletic Bilbao was a fantastic goal both in value to the game, as well as entertainment to the eyes. It was the first goal of the night that gave the Catalans the much-needed boost to go and win the game; however, it was also one of the finest solo goals Messi has ever scored. He picked up the ball from the halfway line, and was on the right side of the pitch. He stalled for a bit before making his next move, and by that time three defenders had already closed down on him. What he did next defied all logic.
Instead of passing the ball backwards or towards the middle, he decided to take on all three of the defenders. He carried the ball forward, nutmegged one of them, got away from the other two, feinted past a fourth defender inside the box and then finally put the ball at the back of the net. It was pure magic from the world’s best player, and one of the best domestic goals he has ever scored.
Goal @ 1:40:52
3) Barcelona Vs Real Madrid, 2017 (La Liga)
Who can forget 2016/17 La Liga season? It was an absolute rollercoaster of a ride where the Catalans just fell short of their fiercest rivals and ended up in the second position. However, we also got to see one of the closest matches in recent El Clasico history. The Catalans went down first however, they managed to pull back to a level score via a fantastic Messi goal. However, that is not the one that makes it to the list. The other goal is the one that makes the top three in this list.
The teams were level by the end of regular time, and there was only two minutes of injury time added. This was not good news for either of the teams, as they were both in the title race; however, a good counterattack started by Sergi Roberto ended with a Lionel Messi goal in the 92nd minute. There was silence all over the Bernabeu, and Lionel Messi pulled out one of his most iconic celebrations. He took off his shirt and showed his name to the Real Madrid fans. Not only was the goal invaluable to the team at that time, but the celebration is also legendary, and that match has gone down in history.
Goal @ 11:53
2) Barcelona Vs Real Sociedad, 2010 (La Liga)
Another crazy solo goal scored by Lionel Messi in 2010 was against Real Sociedad. The dominant Catalans won the match easily, and Messi himself scored two amazing goals in the match. His second goal was particularly amazing however, it cannot top the list as the game was long won, and Sociedad were not too much of a threat in the first place. The goal, however, was absolutely breathtaking. The Argentine received the ball at the edge of the right-hand side of the penalty box. He was at a position where taking a shot was not feasible, as four defenders were already inside the box.
Thus, the magician started to dribble the ball to the other side of the box, while the four defenders tried to desperately get the ball off his feet. Messi in a sense went around a whole defense, and then put the ball into the bottom right corner. It was an insane goal, and it showed just how much ball control the younger Messi had. He could not be put off the ball, and he had the discipline to always keep the ball glued to his feet. This unbelievable goal would surely take the number one spot had Messi not scored a brilliant goal earlier, when he did not even wear the number 10 jersey.
1) Barcelona Vs Getafe, 2007 (Copa del Rey)
Lionel Messi might have scored some of the most absolutely important goals in his life however, his goal against Getafe will be the one that will always stay in the hearts of every Barcelona fan. In 2007 at the age of 19, before being handed the number 10 shirt, Messi did the unthinkable. He recreated the Diego Maradona run in the Copa del Rey, and it still remains the best solo goal in the modern generation. He received the ball in his own half, fought off the first defender, skipped past the second, and then started his ridiculous run towards the opposition’s penalty box. Two defenders were waiting for him outside the box however, he just went through between them in an instant, and then was one against one with the keeper.
Instead of going for a shot and hoping for the best, Messi decided to take the ball past the keeper as well, and then finished the amazing run with an easy finish. In total, he went past five players and scored the most magnificent goal of his career. This goal undoubtedly takes the number one spot.
Which Lionel Messi goal is your favorite?