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Lionel Messi has carved out a niche for himself during an illustrious career for club and country.
The diminutive Argentinian has scored a lot of goals, created many records, and won numerous titles and accolades. Lionel Messi is the all-time top-scorer for Barcelona and Argentina, he has scored the most goals and won the most La Liga titles and Ballon d'Or awards than any other player, among other things. The list goes on and on.
But the Barcelona and Argentina captain has also mesmerised fans and critics alike with his silken skills on the ball, his ability to dribble at pace, his set-piece prowess and ability to create magic with his left foot, to name a few of his magical attributes.
Ten most iconic Lionel Messi moments
Since making his professional debut with Barcelona almost two decades ago, Lionel Messi has continued to enthral and awe in equal measures, showing little sign of slowing down any time soon.
On that note, let's have a look at the ten most iconic Lionel Messi moments.
#1 Hat-trick against Real Madrid (2007)
Lionel Messi really 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 a better 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 on that fateful night.
Twice Real Madrid scored, twice Lionel Messi pegged them back as a frenetic first half ended all square with Barcelona going a man down. Real Madrid capitalised on their numerical advantage to take the lead for the third time in the match in the second.
They retreated deeper into their half as the clock ticked past the 90th minute. But Barcelona and Lionel Messi were not done yet.
Ronaldinho threaded a pass through the heart of a congested Real Madrid defence, but Lionel Messi still had work to do. Unfazed, the then 19-year-old cut onto his favourite left foot, left two Madrid centre-backs - Ivan Helguera and Sergio Ramos - slumping to the turf before rifling a low finish past the despairing dive of Iker Casillas - all in the blink of an eye.
In all three finishes, Lionel Messi showed incredible composure for a 19-year-old. He has gone on to amass 53 more hat-tricks for club and country, but this one will remain special.
#2 'That' goal against Getafe (2007)
In the Copa Del Rey semi-finals in 2006-07, Lionel Messi scored a goal that evoked memories of his compatriot Diego Maradona's effort against England in the FIFA World Cup two decades ago.
Playing Getafe in the first leg of the Copa Del Rey last-four clash, Lionel Messi wooed the fans with a goal of breathtaking brilliance, belying his tender years.
Just before the half-hour mark, Lionel Messi received the ball from Xavi Hernandez in his own half before leaving five Getafe players for dead.
In a dizzying run through the Getafe half, the then-teenager beat Paredes for pace, nutmegged and dribbled past Nacho and left Alexis and Belenguer for dead before beating the onrushing Luis Garcia to slot the ball into an empty net.
#3 The five-goal salvo against Bayer Leverkusen
After a 3-1 win in the first leg away from home, Lionel Messi and 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 envisage what would hit them that night.
It was the Bundesliga side that started well, dominating the opening exchanges and looking to take the game to Barcelona on their own turf. But things changed when Lionel Messi opened the scoring in the 25th minute.
Xavi lifted a delightful ball to Lionel Messi, who lobbed the Leverkusen custodian Bernd Leno. Moments later, the game was over as a contest, if it was not so already, when Lionel Messi doubled his team's lead on the night with a trademark left-footed finish after receiving a pass from Andres Iniesta.
Leverkusen's high defensive line were to be their undoing once again. This time Cesc Fabregas lifted the ball over the visiting defence and Lionel Messi once again chipped Leno for his third of the game. But the Argentinian was not done for the night.
Lionel Messi scored two more, the second a sumptous 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.
#4 'That' header against Manchester United in the 2009 Champions League final
Lionel Messi has scored many a fabulous goal during his illustrious career. But his strike 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 would take the breath away. Enter the usual culprit - Lionel Messi.
Finding himself in acres of space, Xavi threaded a cross to the far post, where Lionel Messi had wriggled clear of his marker Rio Ferdinand.
Seemingly hanging in the air forever, Lionel Messi looped the ball over the despairing dive of Edwin Van der Sar. No way the diminutive Argentinian should have beat two formidable and tall opponents in the air, but Lionel Messi did just that.
Later Lionel Messi would term that effort the 'best' goal of his career when he told a Spanish Publication:
"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."
#5 Lionel Messi breaks Gerd Muller's record for most goals in a calendar year (2012)
Lionel Messi had a banner year in 2012. Although major honours like the La Liga or the Champions League eluded him that year, Lionel Messi had a truly memorable year individually.
He became the first player to breach the 50-goal barrier in a La Liga season earlier that year, and then went on to score a staggering 91 goals in only 69 games for club and country.
Unsurprisingly, most of those goals - 79 - came for Barcelona, as Lionel Messi went past Gerd Muller's four-decade old record of most goals (85) in a calendar year. The Argentinian scored 59 goals in the league, 13 in the Champions League, five in the Copa del Rey and two in the Super Copa in 2012.
#6 Winning four consecutive Ballon d'Or awards
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, his club had only the Spanish Cup to show for his efforts that year.
#7 Lionel Messi hat-trick takes Argentina to the 2018 FIFA World Cup
Even going by their notorious penchant for inconsistency despite the riches at their disposal, Argentina had a shockingly indifferent qualifying campaign for the 2018 FIFA World Cup, one that almost ended in disaster.
The two-time winners were in real danger of missing the quadrennial tournament going into their final qualifying match away to Ecuador after drawing their last three games to slump to sixth in the standings.
Argentina's worst fears came true when Ecuador opened the scoring after only 38 seconds in Quito. However, Lionel Messi came to the rescue of his nation.
Only 11 minutes later, the Argentina captain restored parity for his team before putting them into the lead as the Albiceleste led at the break.
At the hour mark, Lionel Messi calmed Argentine nerves by putting the result beyond doubt, producing a sumptuous chip at the hour-mark to seal his team's passage to the World Cup that summer in Russia.
Although Argentina had a forgettable outing in Russia, losing 3-4 to eventual champions France in the second round, their participation in the tournament itself was down to the singular brilliance of one man - the irrepresible Lionel Messi.
#8 Lionel Messi becomes the first player to win six Ballon d'Or awards
After another glorious year for club and country, Lionel Messi broke the tie with his arch-rival Cristiano Ronaldo in 2019 to become the first six-time winner in Ballon d'Or history.
Six months after winning FIFA's Best Player Award, Lionel Messi ended a successful year with the coveted Ballon d'Or honour.
The Argentinian scored 36 goals to help Barcelona to the league title, his 34th title with the club, and also netted 12 in the Champions League.
"I want to thank all of the journalists who voted for me, as well as all of my teammates at Barça and on the Argentinean national team, as they made me enjoy this year so much. You are all part of this incredible award," said Lionel Messi after receiving his first Ballon d'Or award in four years.
#9 Lionel Messi breaks Xavi's record for most assists in a La Liga season
Despite enduring an underwhelming season by his staggering standards, Lionel Messi emulated his former teammate Thierry Henry to become the only two players this century to score and assist 20 goals in a top-flight season.
During the course of the season, Lionel Messi's 21st assist also helped him break another teammate Xavi's record for the most assists in a La Liga campaign.
Lionel Messi also won the Pichichi award (most goals in a La Liga season) for the fourth straight year. Despite his exploits, Barcelona lost their La Liga stranglehold, finishing behind eventual champions Real Madrid to endure their first trophyless campaign in more than a decade.
#10 Lionel Messi scores his 650th goal for Barcelona
Following an indifferent start to the 2020-21 season, Lionel Messi broke the legendary Pele's record for the most goals by a player for a single club before scoring a record-extending 650th goal for Barcelona.
Lionel Messi arrived at the landmark with a sublime free-kick against Athletic Bilbao, opening the scoring in his team's 2-1 win in the La Liga against the Basque team.
The goal arrived in the backdrop of the leaking of the details of Lionel Messi's gargantuan €550 million contract with Barcelona.
The Argentine is now on 658 goals in 509 appearances in all competitions, with 463 of these strikes coming in the La Liga.
