5 Stats from this season which prove that Lionel Messi is the GOAT

#3 Free Kick Goals

Simply outstanding. That was how Lionel Messi's performance against Espanyol at the start of December last year can be described. The Argentine scored two brilliant free kicks that stunned the world, as Barcelona won 4-0. Messi's curlers were the talk of the town though, how the ball had majestically rolled into the top right corner, just beyond the reach of the hapless keeper. It was simply outstanding, but it was not the first time he had done this.

Along with the two against Espanyol, Messi has scored two more in the season so far, against Alaves in August in La Liga and against PSV Eindhoven in the Champions League in September. The Argentinean has more free kick goals - 4 - than any other player in the top five leagues in Europe this season. It is also worth noting that he finished with 10 goals from free kicks in 2018, once again the most in the top five leagues in Europe.

Since 2014, Lionel Messi has 19 direct free kick goals, more than most top European teams. For the record, Juventus comes closest, with 18 goals. The Argentine is the undisputed king of free kicks, and by continuing the trend this season, Messi has proved once again that he is the GOAT.

About the author

Deepungsu is a veteran football journalist who has been covering daily transfer roundups and news for over seven years at Sportskeeda. He has written more than 9000 articles for the website, and has garnered over 20 million reads.

Deepungsu holds a PG degree in Microbiology and an MBA degree in Total Quality Management. He has an extensive two-decade long writing experience, which includes a decade of sports blogging. His writing prowess has even led his work getting cited on the legendary Franz Beckenbauer's Wikipedia page.

Inspired by Diego Maradona, Deepungsu played as an attacking midfielder for his local club at subdivision level in his initial years and scored an important goal or two. However, his all-time favorite footballer is Lionel Messi, and evidently, he feels Argentina's glory in 2022 is his favorite FIFA World Cup moment for fulfilling his long-standing dream. He is also an ardent East Bengal fan.

Deepungsu has been a Manchester United supporter since the year 2000. Unsurprisingly, his favorite manager is Sir Alex Ferguson and the Scotsman helped him get through some of the toughest days of his life. Like the fiery Scot, Deepungsu also leaves no stone unturned when it comes to accuracy in articles and only relies on credible sources.

Despite believing in Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland to create an iconic rivalry, Deepungsu reckons no one can match the longevity of Messi and Ronaldo. He spends his leisure time writing about life on his blog, reading books, and playing the guitar.

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Edited by Kingshuk Kusari