In a tense league trip to Sevilla, Messi dragged Barcelona back from behind with one of the most complete attacking performances of his La Liga career. His hat-trick featured three entirely different finishes—a vicious volley, a precise weaker-foot strike, and an audacious chip—before he capped it with a late assist to seal a 4–2 comeback. This match stands out as a textbook example of Messi single-handedly deciding a difficult away game in the title race.
At 2–0 up in a World Cup semi-final against Croatia, Messi’s twisting run on the right pulls Gvardiol apart and carves out the byline angle for Álvarez to tap in, sealing the final spot and logging career assist 349.
In a 5–0 El Clásico demolition already at 2–0, Messi’s perfectly timed through ball slices Real Madrid open for Villa to make it three, capping a masterclass in control and vision on the way to his 65th career assist.
At 2–0 in a Champions League semi-final against Bayern, Messi threads a stoppage-time pass that releases Neymar to seal a 3–0 first-leg cushion, capping his masterclass with career assist number 183.
At 3–0 up in his first World Cup, Messi threads a ruthless fourth for Argentina against Serbia, his vision and timing ripping open a tired defence to cap a 16-minute masterclass and register just the sixth assist of his young career.