Top 20 Unbelievable Messi Goals
These Messi goals are legendary! Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the most incredible goals ever scored by soccer icon Lionel Messi.
Transcript
00:00 Magisterio, Leona!
00:02 Magnifico!
00:03 Extraordinario!
00:04 Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the most incredible goals
00:10 ever scored by soccer icon, Leona Messi.
00:12 He's literally playing the tambourine on his knee when he dances past the defenders
00:16 emasculating each of them again!
00:20 Number 20.
00:21 Argentina vs USA
00:22 In the 2016 Copa America semi-final in Houston, Messi added another collector's item to
00:27 his extensive list of unstoppable free-kick goals.
00:30 Messi with a record-breaking goal to nothing Argentina!
00:34 USA goalkeeper Brad Gusan was planted slightly towards his left post.
00:39 His wall was set up close to the top of the box, lined up with his right post.
00:43 Messi sent a rocket the other way and it blistered into the top corner.
00:46 The technique, the power, the placement, everything was impeccable.
00:50 This work of art also happened to place Messi at the top of the list of most goals scored
00:53 by a player for the Argentina men's national team.
00:57 Number 19.
00:58 Barcelona vs Athletic Bilbao
01:00 As part of the 4-0 Copa del Rey victory for Barca, Messi picked up the ball in his own
01:04 half and played a 1-2 combination with right-back Serginho Dest.
01:09 Then after several exquisite touches down the right flank, the Argentine combined beautifully
01:13 with teammate Frankie de Jong.
01:15 After running onto the pass played into the right side of the penalty area, Messi decelerated,
01:19 wiggled his way past the defender onto his left foot before coolly slotting home a precise
01:24 finish.
01:25 A mix of excellent movement, passing, dribbling, and composure by Messi.
01:33 Number 18.
01:34 Barcelona vs Celta Vigo
01:35 In the first half of Barcelona's La Liga match vs Celta Vigo, midfielder Serginho Busquets
01:41 spotted Messi with some room in the middle of the pitch, so he passed the ball with some
01:44 serious speed to find his teammate's chest.
01:46 With the defender on his back, Messi brought it down to his feet exceptionally.
01:50 He then turned with a few quick left-footed touches and began to dart toward the goal.
01:54 Another Celta Vigo defender approached Messi as he glided closer, but he had no answer.
02:03 The Argentine cut past him with ease and finessed the ball into the bottom corner.
02:07 The goal had announcer Ray Hudson producing some of his linguistic magic as he praised
02:11 Messi's brilliance.
02:12 Right on, Ray.
02:13 Number 17.
02:25 Barcelona vs Malaga
02:27 In the 2009 La Liga match vs Malaga, the Argentine gave soccer fans an indisputable reason to
02:32 think of him when thinking of the number 10.
02:40 Xavi Hernandez lofted a ball toward Messi on the right flank.
02:44 He beat the defender to it, chesting the ball into the space ahead of him.
02:47 Dribbling with intentful acceleration into the penalty area, he swiftly took two lightning-fast
02:52 left-footed touches past the defender to free up space for a right-footed poke past the
02:56 goalkeeper.
02:57 The pace, the intricate touches, the strike are absolutely fantastic.
03:02 Number 16.
03:03 Sevilla vs Barcelona
03:05 After picking the ball up in the center of the pitch, Messi guided it past a teammate
03:08 Andres Iniesta on the left.
03:11 Iniesta returned the favor by sliding the ball inside to an onrushing Messi.
03:15 After controlling the ball in stride, he took a stylish second touch through the legs of
03:18 a Sevilla defender.
03:20 His very next contact to the ball was a delicate chip over the goalkeeper and into the side
03:24 netting.
03:29 Pure genius by Messi.
03:30 This very goal was in fact one of his record-breaking 91 goals in the calendar year.
03:35 Number 15.
03:36 Barcelona vs Real Sociedad
03:39 There are times when Messi makes it look as if the defenders aren't even there.
03:42 This is one of them.
03:47 First he received the ball on the right side of the box.
03:50 Next he cut inside the defender, who lunged to no effect.
03:53 With a chance to shoot, Messi instead utilized a deceptive hesitation move and then another.
03:58 Instead of unleashing a strike, he kept dribbling across the box and around multiple defenders.
04:01 Finally, after gliding all the way across, he cushioned the ball past the goalkeeper
04:06 and into the side netting with extreme composure.
04:08 This goal was pure trickery and pure genius by Messi.
04:11 Number 14.
04:12 Sevilla vs Barcelona
04:14 In Barcelona's 2019 La Liga fixture in Sevilla, some great ball movement and player movement
04:19 eventually led to the ball reaching Ivan Rakitic on the wing.
04:22 With Messi patiently waiting, he used his intelligence and spatial awareness to find
04:26 some space between defenders.
04:28 And to create a better angle, he drifted back just a smidge to make himself available for
04:32 the cross from Rakitic.
04:41 When the ball came toward him in the air, Messi adjusted his body superbly to set himself
04:45 up for a first time volley into the top corner.
04:48 It was an absolute firecracker from the Argentine.
04:57 Number 13.
04:58 Argentina vs Brazil
04:59 During this international-friendly game, after receiving the ball on the wing just
05:03 past a halfway mark, Messi skated past left-back Marcelo.
05:07 He then took off dribbling toward the goal.
05:09 Before any Brazilian defender could impede his progress, the Argentine cut in on his
05:12 celestial left foot and hit a banger from outside the box to complete his hat-trick
05:16 and give his side the 4-3 edge.
05:18 The crowd inside MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey erupted.
05:37 Number 12.
05:38 Barcelona vs Arsenal
05:39 During a 2011 Champions League Round of 16 match at home against Arsenal, midfielder
05:44 Andres Iniesta chopped a short through ball into the box.
05:47 It was utter wizardry from that point on.
05:49 Messi controlled the bouncing ball with his left foot as the goalkeeper rushed out toward
05:53 him to try to close him down.
05:55 But Messi readily dinked the ball over him, waited for it to come down to a reasonable
05:58 height and smashed a volley into the net.
06:00 The quick thinking and the ability to execute with such elegance had everyone inside the
06:04 camp now spellbound.
06:06 Number 11.
06:07 Barcelona vs Valencia
06:09 Once Messi received the ball in a pocket of space outside the box, he turned, accelerated
06:13 and sent warning signals to Valencia's defense.
06:16 After breezing past a couple defenders, another defender approached.
06:19 It was time for Messi to take him to school, just as the defender came running across toward
06:23 him.
06:24 Messi decelerated and sliced by him with ease.
06:26 From there, there was only one thing left to do.
06:29 Score.
06:31 And the Argentine did just that with a smooth finish inside the near post.
06:40 The goal exemplified Messi's otherworldly dribbling ability and precise finishing.
06:45 Number 10.
06:46 Real Betis vs Barcelona
06:48 After a pass to midfielder Ivan Rakitic on the left, Messi positioned himself well enough
06:52 to receive the ball.
07:03 On its way, Messi immediately chipped the ball over the outstretched goalkeeper off
07:07 the crossbar and into the net to complete his hat trick.
07:10 The goalkeeper was seemingly positioned well, but it didn't matter.
07:13 Bravo, Leo!
07:14 When the opposition's fans are cheering for you after you score in their stadium,
07:18 you must be doing something right.
07:30 Number 9.
07:31 Barcelona vs Bayern Munich
07:33 On their way to the 2015 Champions League final, Barcelona faced Bayern Munich in the
07:37 semifinals.
07:38 As part of that victory, Messi got many fans around the world out of their seats with one
07:42 of his most memorable moments of magic in the 80th minute.
07:45 Leo, positioned slightly inside from the right wing, received a splitting forward pass outside
07:50 the box.
07:51 In front of him was Bayern Munich's centre-back, Jerome Boateng.
07:54 The Barca man went straight at him.
07:56 He deceived Boateng, convincing him that he was cutting inside.
07:59 Instead, he swiftly went right, making the defender fall.
08:03 Messi then chipped the ball over goalkeeper Manuel Neuer and into the net.
08:06 He made them look silly, and it was just silly good.
08:09 Number 8.
08:10 Barcelona vs Eibar
08:11 Late in Barcelona's 2017 La Liga match vs Eibar, Barcelona striker Luis Suarez's shot
08:17 was saved, and the ball was then booted toward midfield.
08:20 But the danger wasn't totally clear.
08:22 Messi settled the ball from the sky, superbly chopped it past his opponent, and accelerated
08:26 forward.
08:27 He then proceeded to dance past a defender.
08:29 Three others couldn't stop him either.
08:31 The Argentine dribbled inside and slotted home a right-footed shot past the goalkeeper.
08:43 This was an instance of Messi taking matters into his own hands, skating past multiple
08:47 defenders on his way to a tremendous solo goal.
08:50 Number 7.
08:51 Barcelona vs Liverpool
08:52 During the first leg of the 2019 Champions League semi-final, Barca had a free-kick opportunity
08:57 from a significant distance outside the box.
09:00 But for Messi, it was certainly within shooting range.
09:02 The Argentine stepped up and sent a sizzler around the wall and into the top corner.
09:06 The curve, the power, and the placement were all impeccable.
09:09 It was Messi's 42nd free-kick goal for Barcelona, and perhaps his most impressive of the bunch.
09:14 It was also his 600th club goal for FC Barcelona, and it was a thing of beauty.
09:19 Number 6.
09:20 Real Zaragoza vs Barcelona
09:23 After battling for the ball and ultimately taking it from an opponent in the midfield,
09:27 Messi shrugged off the contact and accelerated forward.
09:30 He tickled the ball past a sliding defender and continued dribbling toward the left side
09:34 of the box.
09:35 Another defender approached, but Messi cut inside, spinning the opponent around before
09:39 cutting back the other way onto his left foot.
09:41 Finally, to cap it off, he slid home a shot in the right corner.
09:44 Utterly unpredictable.
09:45 A natural-born goalkeeper, Messi was the first to score a goal in the first half of the season.
09:56 Utterly unpredictable, announcer Ray Hudson called Messi.
09:59 That unpredictability, the way Messi twisted and turned the defender, and the decision-making
10:03 to do what he did when he did it was spectacular.
10:08 Number 5.
10:09 Getafe vs Barcelona
10:10 Against Getafe in a 2014 Copa del Rey match, Messi picked up the ball in midfield with
10:15 plenty of green grass ahead of him.
10:17 So he calmly dribbled forward, and when the first defender finally approached him, Messi
10:21 went right around him.
10:22 Then two more defenders approached, but a genius long touch through the traffic led
10:25 himself into the penalty box.
10:27 He quickly accelerated to the ball.
10:29 With the goalkeeper running out to try to close the angle, Messi coolly dribbled around
10:33 him before sliding the ball into the empty net.
10:40 It was a quintessential example of Messi making this extremely difficult maneuver look effortless.
10:45 Number 4.
10:46 Real Madrid vs Barcelona
10:48 At the 2011 Champions League semi-final between FC Barcelona and Real Madrid, Messi made his
10:53 mark by producing one of his most iconic goals ever.
10:56 After passing the ball to teammate Sergio Busquets in the midfield, Messi ran toward
11:00 him to pick up the ball again.
11:01 He then sped forward and raced past a few Real Madrid defenders with a series of exceptional
11:06 touches.
11:07 To finish it off, he slid and guided the ball with his right foot into the side netting.
11:24 Messi displayed his incredible acceleration and skill with this legendary piece of art.
11:29 Number 3.
11:30 Athletic Bilbao vs Barcelona
11:31 With very little space to operate, Messi defied the odds with a jaw-dropping piece of skill
11:36 in a 2013 La Liga match versus Athletic Bilbao.
11:39 After first receiving the ball and evading one defender, Messi slowed down and cut back
11:43 inside.
12:00 He then hesitated and teased three defenders slicing past him with supreme elegance.
12:05 Once he opened up a sliver of space for a shot, he guided the ball past the goalkeeper
12:08 with incredible composure.
12:10 This goal was an archetypal example of Messi showing that the use of raw speed isn't
12:14 always necessary to dribble past defenders in tight areas.
12:18 Number 2.
12:19 Athletic Bilbao vs Barcelona
12:20 During Barcelona's 2015 Copa del Rey final match against Athletic Bilbao, Messi illuminated
12:25 the stadium with an extraordinary moment.
12:28 After a tricky pause while standing with the ball close to the halfway mark, he darted
12:31 to his right past a defender.
12:33 He got close to the sideline, three defenders tried to corral him.
12:36 But the lack of space didn't faze the Argentine.
12:39 He cut in and then caressed the ball around the left side of his opponent and ran past
12:42 him on the right.
12:43 Messi picked up steam toward the right side of the box.
12:46 Another defender approached, but he quickly cut inside and fired home a near post golazo.
13:00 This solo run by Messi was absolutely superhuman.
13:04 Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.
13:07 Barcelona vs Atletico Madrid
13:09 Because Messi made getting by the defender and finishing look so effortless.
13:20 Tenerife vs Barcelona
13:21 Because Messi chipped it over the goalkeeper with amazing precision.
13:25 Argentina vs Mexico
13:26 Because Messi smoothly lobbed the ball over the goalkeeper from a tough angle.
13:39 Before we continue, be sure to subscribe to our channel and ring the bell to get notified
13:43 about our latest videos.
13:45 You have the option to be notified for occasional videos or all of them.
13:48 If you're on your phone, make sure you go into your settings and switch on notifications.
13:54 Barcelona vs Getafe
13:57 Early in his career at just 19 years old, Messi gave the world a glimpse of his immense
14:01 talent with a magical solo goal against Getafe.
14:04 After settling the ball on the right flank in Barcelona's own half, he danced past an
14:08 onrushing opponent.
14:09 He then nutmegged the next man before accelerating forward.
14:12 With a group of defenders ahead, he skipped inside and poked the ball past a sliding defender.
14:17 Darting into the box, Messi pretended as if he would shoot but instead smoothly dribbled
14:21 around the goalkeeper before ultimately putting the ball in the net.
14:25 This magnum opus vs Getafe encapsulated Messi's otherworldly ability.
14:30 Let us know in the comments what your favorite Messi goal is that you saw!
14:39 Did you enjoy this video?
14:41 Check out these other clips from WatchMojo and be sure to subscribe and ring the bell
14:44 to be notified about our latest videos.
14:47 Thanks for watching!
14:57 (upbeat music)