Lionel Messi recently shared his favorite goal of his career, which he scored for Barcelona against Real Madrid in the Champions League. Messi emphasized the importance of special goals in his career, and while he has scored in important matches like the Champions League and World Cup finals, he found it difficult to choose just one favorite goal. For Messi, the significance of a goal is not determined by its difficulty or the level of competition. His most memorable goal was the one he scored against Real Madrid in the semi-finals of the Champions League, which helped Barcelona secure a 2-0 victory at the Bernabeu.
In the 2010-2011 Champions League semi-finals, Messi scored a goal against Real Madrid. The goal occurred during the second leg of the competition when Sergio Busquets passed the ball to Messi who proceeded to dribble past Real’s midfield, eliminating Lassana Diarra, Xabi Alonso, and Sergio Ramos, as well as Raul Albiol before taking a right-footed shot that beat Iker Casillas. Messi scored both goals in this game, helping Barca win with a total score of 3-1 and advance to the final. In the Cup match, he scored another goal when his team, Catalonia, defeated Man Utd 3-1 at Wembley Stadium.
Messi’s favorite goal of his career is one that has brought immense success to the teams he has played for. According to data from Transfermarkt, Messi has scored a total of 721 goals in 889 matches in his career, many of which were crucial in securing titles or victories for his teams. Examples include his goal that gave Barcelona a 2-0 lead over Manchester United in the 2008-2009 Champions League final and his goal that gave Argentina a 3-2 lead in extra time against France in the 2022 World Cup final.
In 2019, Messi revealed that one of his favorite goals was his header against Manchester United in the 2009 Champions League final. He explained that the goal was not only beautiful but also significant because it helped Barcelona complete a successful cycle under coach Pep Guardiola and win the treble.
As one of the greatest football players in history, Messi has also scored incredible goals that have elevated his status even higher. These include his solo run past four Athletic Bilbao defenders in the 2014-2015 Copa del Rey final and his dribbling past the entire Getafe team, including the goalkeeper, before scoring in the 2006-2007 Copa del Rey semifinal – a goal that has been compared to Diego Maradona’s famous goal in the 1986 World Cup.
