“Neymar threads the key pass to break Manchester City’s resistance at 0–0, and Messi’s finish puts Barcelona ahead in a Champions League group clash, taking him to 90 goals in the competition and 524 in his career.”
In the midst of a hot Champions League scoring streak, Messi opens the scoring at the Etihad and remains Barcelona’s main attacking reference for 90 minutes, extending his perfect personal run of goals in every meeting with Manchester City to six in six.
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.