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Lionel Messi is a once-in-a-generational talent and is regarded by many as one of the finest players to have played the beautiful game.
One of the last vestiges of a true one-club man, Messi, who is now a free agent but likely to be re-signed by Barcelona, has had quite a career for club and country. During his near two-decade-long association with the Blaugrana, the diminutive Argentine has scored goals and won trophies galore.
The 34-year-old has tallied almost a thousand goal contributions (672 goals, 305 assists) in 778 games in all competitions for the club, winning ten La Liga titles and two continental trebles. His silken ability on the ball, coupled with his penchant for staying away from controversies, has endeared himself to the Blaugrana faithful and beyond.
Since making his professional debut in 2004, the all-time La Liga top goalscorer has conjured many a memorable moment on the field. On that note, let's have a look at the top five moments in the Argentine's career, in no particular order:
#5 Lionel Messi scores a hat-trick against Real Madrid (2007)
Lionel Messi announced himself on the big stage with a stunning hat-trick against Barcelona's arch-rivals Real Madrid in a La Liga game in 2007.
The then-teenager could not have chosen a better opponent or occasion for his first professional hat-trick. Barcelona and Real Madrid, locked in a tight title race, had everything to play for at Camp Nou that night.
Twice Real Madrid scored, and twice Messi pegged them back as a frenetic first half ended all square despite Barcelona going a man down. Real Madrid capitalized on their numerical advantage to take the lead for the third time in the match. But as they retreated deeper into their half to run down the clock, Messi and Barcelona would strike again.
Ronaldinho threaded a pass through the heart of a congested Real Madrid defense to Messi, who still had work to do. Unfazed, the then 19-year-old cut onto his favourite left foot, left two Madrid centre-backs slumping on the turf before rifling a low finish past Iker Casillas - all in the blink of an eye.
For all three finishes, Messi showed composure, belying his 19 years of age. He has now amassed more than 50 more hat-tricks for club and country, but this one will remain special.
#4 Lionel Messi becomes the first player to score five goals in a Champions League game (2012)
After a 3-1 win in the first leg away from home, Lionel Messi's Barcelona had one foot in the quarter-finals of the 2011-12 Champions League when Bayer Leverkusen arrived at the Camp Nou. However, little could the visitors have envisaged what would hit them that night.
The Bundesliga side started well, dominating the opening exchanges and looking to take the game to Barcelona. But things changed when Messi opened the scoring in the 25th minute by lobbing Bernd Leno after receiving a delightful ball from Xavi.
Moments later, the game was over as a contest when Messi doubled his team's lead on the night with a trademark left-footed finish, this time receiving a pass from Andres Iniesta.
Leverkusen's high defensive line proved to be their undoing once again. When Cesc Fabregas lifted the ball over the visiting defense, Messi chipped Leno for the second time on the night to complete his hat-trick. But the Argentinian was not yet done for the night.
Messi scored two more, the second a sumptuous curling strike, to become the first player to score five goals in a Champions League game.
The humiliation was complete for Leverkusen, who lost 1-7 on the night and 2-10 on aggregate.
#3 'That' header against Manchester United in the Champions League final (2009)
Lionel Messi has scored many a fabulous goal during his illustrious career. But his goal against defending champions Manchester United in the 2009 Champions League final in Rome remains a special one.
Leading 1-0 after Samuel Eto'o's early strike, Barcelona had to wait till the 70th minute to put the game beyond the visitors. But it was the manner of the strike that took the breath away. Enter Lionel Messi.
Finding himself in acres of space, Xavi threaded a cross to the far post, where Messi had wriggled clear of his marker Rio Ferdinand. Seemingly hanging in the air forever, Messi looped the ball over the despairing dive of Edwin Van der Sar.
No way the diminutive Argentinian should have beaten two formidable and tall opponents in the air, yet Messi did just that.
Later Messi would term that effort the 'best' goal of his career when he said:
"I don't look at goals for their beauty, but their importance. The best goal of my career was the header in the Champions League final, for what that goal and that game meant. I don't have special goals marked out that I'd like to score because for me - the special goals are the important ones."
#2 Lionel Messi becomes the first player to win four consecutive Ballon d'Or awards (2012)
From 2009 to 2012, Lionel Messi was the best player on the planet, winning the coveted Ballon d'Or award for four successive years. To put that achievement into context, only Frenchman Michel Platini has ever done a Ballon d'Or three-peat, doing so from 1983 to 1985.
Lionel Messi completed his Ballon d'Or four-peat in 2012, scoring a record 91 goals in all competitions for club and country. Quite incredibly, Barcelona only had the Spanish Cup to show for Messi's staggering exploits that year.
#1 Lionel Messi wins his first title with Argentina (2021)
Lionel Messi ended a long wait for a maiden international trophy with Argentina when La Albiceleste prevailed by a solitary goal in the Copa America 2021 final against Brazil.
Earlier, Messi had ended up on the losing side in four consecutive major tournament finals - thrice at the Copa America (2007, 2015-16) and once at the FIFA World Cup (2014) - with Argentina.
Making his tenth appearance at a major tournament, the Argentine, leading from the front with four goals and five assists, had his first taste of silverware. Incidentally, that happened exactly five years after his arch-rival Cristiano Ronaldo had won his first major title - the 2016 Euros with Portugal.
At 34, Messi is approaching the fag end of his illustrious career, but a maiden international trophy with his country is no longer conspicuous by its absence in his illustrious resume.
