“Against big-spending PSG, Messi instantly cancels out their early lead from an Iniesta one-two to drag Barcelona level in this Champions League group clash, pushing his tally to 68 goals in the competition and 402 in his career.”
Extending his early-season scoring run, Messi nets with a sharp first-half finish and then dictates Barcelona’s attacking play for 90 minutes in a high-tempo Champions League group clash away to PSG, earning Man of the Match despite the defeat.
Against a relentless Liverpool in a Champions League semi-final, Messi doubles Barcelona’s lead to tilt the tie decisively their way, and the strike also becomes his mythical 600th goal for the club.
In a tense El Clásico Champions League semi-final deadlocked at 0–0, Messi latches onto Afellay’s low cross to break Madrid’s resistance and give Barcelona a crucial first-leg lead, on the way to a brace and his 35th Champions League goal.
With Argentina trailing 1–0 in a must-win World Cup qualifier in Quito, Messi latches onto Ángel Di María’s early pass to level the score and ignite the hat-trick that drags his country back toward Russia, bringing up career goal 580 in the process.
In a Champions League quarter-final with Barcelona trailing Arsenal, Messi’s first strike instantly drags Barça level and ignites the four-goal masterclass that turns this night into his iconic Camp Nou ‘poker’, capped as career goal No.129 and his 22nd in the competition.