“Arthur’s quick combination with Messi rips open Slavia Prague’s defence inside three minutes, as the captain breaks the deadlock in this Champions League group tie for his 113th goal in the competition and 674th of his career.”
In a tricky Champions League group trip to Slavia Prague, Messi breaks the deadlock and runs the game as a 32-year-old, racking up a 9.7-rated, man-of-the-match display that anchors Barcelona’s fourth straight win in all competitions.
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.