According to a recent interview posted on X, Lionel Messi has named his favorite goal of his career. While he acknowledges that he has scored many crucial goals throughout his career, he revealed that the one that stands out the most for him was scored for Barcelona against Real Madrid in the Champions League semi-final. Messi stated that he does not place importance on the difficulty or significance of his goals, but rather chooses to remember the ones that stand out to him personally.
In the 2010-2011 Champions League semi-finals, Messi made an impressive goal against Real. During the second leg of the match, he received the ball from a wall made by Sergio Busquets in the middle of the pitch. Messi then moved through the Real midfield, surpassing players like Lassana Diarra, Xabi Alonso, and Sergio Ramos. He finished the play with his right foot, defeating Iker Casillas. Messi scored both goals for Barcelona in this game, leading them to a total score of 3-1 and securing their place in the final. In the final, he once again shone, helping Barcelona defeat Man Utd 3-1 at Wembley.
According to data from Transfermarkt, Messi has scored a remarkable 721 goals in his career, across 889 matches. These goals have been crucial in securing victories and titles for his team. Some of the most notable ones include his 2-0 goal against Man Utd during the 2008-2009 Champions League final for Barca, as well as his 3-2 goal against France for Argentina during the final extra time World Cup 2022. In 2019, Messi even mentioned that his favorite goal was a header against Man Utd during the 2009 Champions League final. He emphasized that this goal was not just beautiful but also essential in completing a successful cycle with coach Pep Guardiola and winning the treble. Messi’s exceptional skills aren’t limited to just scoring goals – he’s also known for making incredible assists, which has cemented his reputation as one of the greatest football players of all time. Some of his most memorable assists include his phase Go ball through four Athletic Bilbao players during the final of the King’s Cup 2014-2015, and his Dictitious phase from the middle of the yard through the goalkeeper before launching Getafe in the semi-finals of the Kingโs Cup 2006-2007. The latter one was compared to Diego Maradona’s table during the 1986 World Cup.