10 of Lionel Messi's Best Ever Individual Performances
By 90min
Lionel Messi provided us with yet another magical performance on Tuesday evening in Barcelona’s 5-1 thrashing of Real Valladolid, scoring two and providing two assists to send his team back to the top of La Liga.
The game featured the Argentinian’s 50th free-kick goal of his career and his two strikes means he has now reached 608 club goals, surpassing eternal rival Cristiano Ronaldo with 606.
His latest masterclass at Camp Nou might've have been a career-defining one for another player – but for Messi, it's just another day at the office.
Here are ten of the superstar forward's finest ever individual displays.
Barcelona vs Real Madrid (10/03/07)
A match which arguably introduced Messi’s talent to rest of the world was his performance against Real Madrid in a tasty Clasico back in 2007.
The young talent, still only 19, netted a hat-trick with his last goal coming in the 91st minute, denying Real Madrid three points as the game ended 3-3.
Although not Barça’s best result, his performance against Real firmly put him in the spotlight.
Barcelona vs Getafe (18/04/07)
Regarded as perhaps Messi’s best ever goal, his performance against Getafe in the Copa del Rey semi-final was also a career highlight for the Argentinian.
Messi picked up the ball near the halfway line before dribbling past his opposition, finding space between his defenders and netting the goal in the back of the net.
Many will remember this goal for the sheer beauty – but it was also a very important time in Messi’s career.
Barcelona vs Arsenal (06/04/10
A last 16 tie in the Champions League saw Messi bully Arsene Wenger’s side by scoring four goals to confirm his team’s place in the next stage of the competition.
The Argentinian was in virtuoso mode as he netted all four of Barcelona’s goals in their 4-1 defeat of Arsenal, settling the score 6-3 on aggregate.
His performance against the Gunners back in 2010 is one of the best performances ever seen in European football as he near single-handedly secured Barcelona’s place in the quarter-finals, including a superb strike from the edge of the area and a patented chip over Manuel Almunia.
The performance saw Messi awarded 10/10 by L'Equipe, a match rating that is almost never dished out by the famous French magazine.
Barcelona vs Real Madrid (27/04/11)
It wouldn’t be a list of Messi’s greatest performances if we didn’t include one (or four) of his games against arch-rivals Real Madrid. This one comes during the semi-final of the Champions League back in 2011.
Messi managed to score two late goals against Jose Mourinho’s side, sending Barcelona to the final in one of the tensest and most explosive European games to date.
His first goal broke the deadlock at the Bernabeu after 76 minutes, before netting in a famous second as he ran 30 yards past a crowd of Real Madrid players to score one of the most crucial and beautiful goals of his career.
Barcelona vs Manchester United (28/05/11)
After seeing off Real Madrid, Barcelona faced Manchester United in the final of the competition and Messi stole the show once again.
The match - which was perhaps the defining moment of the tiki-taka era - ended 3-1 in favour of Pep Guardiola’s side with goals coming from David Villa, Pedro and of course, Messi.
The Barça manager stated that Messi’s performance on the pitch was the one that made the difference to help win his second Champions League title with the club.
Messi's strike was also his first goal on English soil, representing an important landmark in his career.
Barcelona vs Real Madrid (17/08/11)
Messi’s performance against Real Madrid in the Supercopa showed signs of pure magic.
During the first leg, he picked out Andres Iniesta with a superb pass before scoring on the stroke of halftime, with the match ending 2-2.
Barcelona managed to win 3-2 in the second leg, with Messi's brilliance landing him and his team another piece of silverware.
Barcelona vs Bayer Leverkusen (07/03/12)
During the second leg of Barcelona’s last 16 tie with Bayer Leverkusen in the Champions League, Messi set a record to become the first player to score five goals (yes, five) in a single Champions League game.
Barcelona’s star man played a big part in their 7-1 victory against the German side on their home turf, ending 10-2 on aggregate for Guardiola’s side.
His five goals also came in spectacular style – featuring a long-range screamer and a drive with his left foot. To this day, it remains one of Messi’s most memorable performances.
That season (2011/12) Messi scored a frankly outrageous 73 goals in 60 appearances.
Barcelona vs Bayern Munich (6/5/15)
The Champions League semi-final first leg against Bayern in 2015 is perhaps most memorable for Messi sending World Cup winner Jerome Boateng to the grass as he skipped past and dinked over another World Cup winner in Manuel Neuer.
Messi's brace in the 3-0 win all but guaranteed Barcelona's place in the Champions League final that season, which they would later win against Juventus.
Barcelona vs Real Madrid (23/4/17)
With Barcelona struggling to replicate rivals Real Madrid's (and Ronaldo's) success in the Champions League, Messi had a point to prove at the Bernabeu in 2017.
Despite taking going a goal down and taking an elbow to the jaw that left him spitting blood, Messi went on to score a brace which sealed a 3-2 win for Barça.
Messi celebrated by holding his shirt aloft to the crowd.
Barcelona vs Real Valladolid (29/10/19)
A routine win for Ernesto Valverde was heightened by Messi taking football to another level. The forward bagged two beautiful assists and two of his own strikes, including an inch-perfect free-kick (the 50th of his career) into the top corner, to send Barça top of La Liga.
Easy work.