Lionel Messi has made it a habit to make opponents look downright stupid on the pitch like they don’t belong on the same level as him. In a way, Messi is that college kid sitting in a kindergarten class solving kindergarten tests: it’s just too easy for him.
With the body of work he’s put up over the years, you could spend an entire day viewing Messi clips and reading pieces about the greatest footballer of this generation. We’ve filtered down some of the best from Messi and arranged them on a list. Let’s kick it.
Before Messi became a soccer demigod, he was once a young gun playing alongside Ronaldinho with Barcelona. The now Argentinian great found the back of the net for the very first time in his professional career with the help of Ronaldinho, who set Messi up with a beautiful assist. What a way to get his goal no. 1.
9. Messi gives Sevilla the business
This isn’t an arcade game but you could almost hear Mortal Kombat’s “finish him” and “fatality” sound bites, as you watch Messi punctuate a sublime Barcelona attack by nutmegging a defender before owning a helpless goalie in the end.
8. Messi deports the ball back to the net
When he’s not demoralizing folks at La Liga, Messi could be found destroying defenders’ souls on the international stage. Take for example his play in a Copa America match with Mexico back in 2007, in which he executed one of the most exquisite chip goals you’ll ever see from Messi.
7. Sit down Boateng, be humble
When Messi wants to embarrass you, he will embarrass you. Jerome Boateng found that out the hard way when Messi crossed him up with a nasty dribble so deceptive that Boateng’s brain failed to process the moment quick enough for him to avoid getting floored.
6. The perfect free kick doesn’t exis….oh wait!
Messi’s legend certainly includes some of the best free kicks you’ll ever witness. In a 2012 match with Atletico Madrid, Messi let out a golazo of a free kick that stunned and left goalie Thibaut Courtois having the expression of a kid who just found out his Pokemon card collection has been stolen.
5. Another free kick? Another free kick
This free kick was special considering that this comes against Real Madrid. Prior to this goal, Messi had already netted three scores opposite Real Madrid in the 2012-2013 season.
4. Messi treats Malaga like butt
There are nicer words to describe this moment to avoid hurting Malaga’s feelings, but come on… they’re grown men. They could take it just as well as they did when they managed to avoid breaking into tears when Messi uncorked an incredible series of moves that was just simply too much even for multiple defenders to handle. Lesson learned for Malaga: just get out of Messi’s way the next time.
3. Lighting the fireworks against Brazil
Argentina and Brazil are in a constant battle for football supremacy in South America, so you could just tell how sweet it was for La Albiceleste when Messi broke a 3-3 tie with a splendid goal with only less than five minutes in regulation. It was Messi’s third goal of the night, by the way.
2. Messi electrifies on the Copa Del Rey
The Copa Del Rey is a huge event in itself, but it could get even bigger when you have Messi playing in one. Messi has won La Liga’s championship game four times so far and in the last one, he unleashed one of the best goals the event has ever seen. With the game in a scoreless tie, Messi collared the ball from the right side and proceeded to evade numerous defenders with a series of silky maneuvers before scoring.
1. Messi guts Getafe
Messi was only 19 years-old when he made this play, but the skill and poise he displayed served as a bad omen for the legion of defenders that’d come his way in the coming years. Starting from behind his own half, Messi broke tackles and outran almost everyone from the Getafe side including its goalie, who merely stood as a mere cannon fodder for a Messi masterpiece.
