Top 20 Unbelievable Messi Goals

2016
In the 2016 Copa América Semifinal in Houston, Messi added another collector’s item to his extensive list of unstoppable free kick goals. USA goalkeeper Brad Guzan was planted slightly towards his left post. His wall was set up close to the top of the box, lined up with his right post. Messi sent a rocket the other way and it blistered into the top corner. The technique, the power, the placement; everything was impeccable. This work of art also happened to place Messi at the top of the list of most goals scored by a player for the Argentina Men’s National Team.

2021
As part of the 4-0 Copa del Rey victory for Barça, Messi picked up the ball in his own half and played a one-two combination with right-back Sergiño Dest. Then, after several exquisite touches down the right flank, the Argentine combined beautifully with teammate Frenkie de Jong. After running onto the pass played into the right side of the penalty area, Messi decelerated, wiggled his way past the defender on to his left-foot, before cooly slotting home a precise finish. The goal was a mix of excellent movement, passing, dribbling, and composure by Messi.

2017
In the first half of Barcelona’s La Liga match versus Celta Vigo, midfielder Sergio Busquets spotted Messi with some room in the middle of the pitch. So he passed the ball with some serious speed to find his teammate’s chest. With a defender on his back, Messi brought it down to his feet exceptionally. He then turned with a few quick left-footed touches and began to dart toward the goal. Another Celta Vigo defender approached Messi as he glided closer, but he had no answer. The Argentine cut past him with ease and finessed the ball into the bottom corner. The goal had announcer Ray Hudson producing some of his linguistic magic, as he praised Messi’s brilliance. Right on, Ray.

2009
In a 2009 La Liga match vs Málaga, the Argentine gave soccer fans an indisputable reason to think of him when thinking of the number 10. Xavi Hernández lofted a ball toward Messi on the right flank. He beat the defender to it, chesting the ball into the space ahead of him. Dribbling with intentful acceleration into the penalty area, he swiftly took two lightning-fast left-footed touches past the defender to free up space for a right-footed poke past the goalkeeper. The pace, the intricate touches, the strike, are absolutely fantastic.

2012
After picking the ball up in the center of the pitch, Messi guided a pass to teammate Andrés Iniesta on the left. Iniesta returned the favor by sliding the ball inside to an onrushing Messi. After controlling the ball in stride, he took a stylish second touch through the legs of a Sevilla defender. His very next contact of the ball was a delicate chip over the goalkeeper and into the side-netting. Pure genius by Messi. This very goal was in fact one of his record-breaking 91 goals in the calendar year.

2010
There are times when Messi makes it look as if the defenders aren’t even there. This is one of them. First, he received the ball on the right side of the box. Next, he cut inside the defender, who lunged to no effect. With a chance to shoot, Messi instead utilized a deceptive hesitation move, and then another. Instead of unleashing a strike, he kept dribbling across the box and around multiple defenders. Finally, after gliding all the way across, he cushioned the ball past the goalkeeper and into the side-netting with extreme composure. This goal was pure trickery and pure genius by Messi.

2019
In Barcelona’s 2019 La Liga fixture in Seville, some great ball movement and player movement eventually led to the ball reaching Ivan Rakitić on the wing. With Messi patiently waiting, he used his intelligence and spatial awareness to find some space between defenders. And to create a better angle he drifted back just a smidge to make himself available for the cross from Rakitić. When the ball came toward him in the air, Messi adjusted his body superbly to set himself up for a first-time volley into the top corner. It was an absolute firecracker from the Argentine.

2012
During this International Friendly game, after receiving the ball on the wing just past the halfway mark, Messi skated past left back Marcelo. He then took off dribbling toward the goal. Before any Brazilian defender could impede his progress, the Argentine cut in on his celestial left foot and hit a banger from outside the box to complete his hat-trick and give his side the 4-3 edge. The crowd inside MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey erupted.

2011
During a 2011 Champions League Round of 16 match at home against Arsenal, midfielder Andrés Iniesta chopped a short through-ball into the box. It was utter wizardry from that point on. Messi controlled the bouncing ball with his left foot as the goalkeeper rushed out toward him to try to close him down. But Messi readily dinked the ball over him, waited for it to come down to a reasonable height, and smashed a volley into the net. The quick thinking and the ability to execute with such elegance had everyone inside the Camp Nou spellbound.

2010
Once Messi received the ball in a pocket of space outside the box, he turned, accelerated and sent warning signals to Valencia’s defense. After breezing past a couple defenders, another defender approached. It was time for Messi to take him to school. Just as the defender came running across toward him, Messi decelerated and sliced by him with ease. From there, there was only one thing left to do: score. And the Argentine did just that with a smooth finish inside the near post. The goal exemplified Messi’s otherworldly dribbling ability and precise finishing.

2019
After a pass to midfielder Ivan Rakitić on the left, Messi positioned himself well enough to receive the ball. On its way, Messi immediately chipped the ball over the outstretched goalkeeper, off the crossbar, and into the net to complete his hattrick. The goalkeeper was seemingly positioned well, but it didn’t matter. Bravo, Leo. When the opposition’s fans are cheering for you after you score in their stadium, you must be doing something right.

2015
On their way to the 2015 Champions League Final, Barcelona faced Bayern Munich in the semifinals. As part of that victory, Messi got many fans around the world out of their seats with one of his most memorable moments of magic in the 80th minute. Leo, positioned slightly inside from the right wing, received a splitting forward pass outside the box. In front of him was Bayern Munich center back Jérôme Boateng. The Barca man went straight at him. He deceived Boateng, convincing him that he was cutting inside. Instead, he swiftly went right, making the defender fall. Messi then chipped the ball over goalkeeper Manuel Neuer and into the net. He made them look silly. And it was just silly good.

2017
Late in Barcelona’s 2017 La Liga match vs. Eibar, Barcelona striker Luis Suárez’s shot was saved, and the ball was then booted toward midfield. But the danger wasn’t totally clear. Messi settled the ball from the sky, superbly chopped it past his opponent, and accelerated forward. He then proceeded to dance past a defender. Three others couldn’t stop him either. The Argentine dribbled inside and slotted home a right-footed shot past the goalkeeper. This was an instance of Messi taking matters into his own hands, skating past multiple defenders on his way to a tremendous solo goal.

2019
During the first leg of the 2019 Champions League Semifinal, Barca had a free kick opportunity from a significant distance outside the box. But, for Messi, it was certainly within shooting range. The Argentine stepped up and sent a sizzler around the wall and into the top corner. The curve, the power, and the placement, were all impeccable. It was Messi’s 42nd free kick goal for Barcelona, and perhaps his most impressive of the bunch. It was also his 600th club goal for FC Barcelona and it was a thing of beauty.

2010
After battling for the ball and ultimately taking it from an opponent in the midfield, Messi shrugged off the contact and accelerated forward. He tickled the ball past a sliding defender and continued dribbling toward the left side of the box. Another defender approached, but Messi cut inside, spinning the opponent around, before cutting back the other way on to his left foot. Finally, to cap it off, he slid home a shot in the right corner. “Utterly unpredictable,” announcer Ray Hudson called Messi. That unpredictability, the way Messi twisted and turned the defender, and the decision making to do what he did when he did it, was spectacular.

2014
Against Getafe in a 2014 Copa del Rey match, Messi picked up the ball in midfield with plenty of green grass ahead of him. So he calmly dribbled forward, and when the first defender finally approached him, Messi went right around him. Then two more defenders approached, but a genius long touch through the traffic led himself into the penalty box. He quickly accelerated to the ball. With the goalkeeper running out to try to close the angle, Messi coolly dribbled around him before sliding the ball into the empty net. It was a quintessential example of Messi making this extremely difficult maneuver look effortless.

2011
At the 2011 Champions League semi final between FC Barcelona and Real Madrid, Messi made his mark by producing one of his most iconic goals ever. After passing the ball to teammate Sergio Busquets in the midfield, Messi ran toward him to pick up the ball again. He then sped forward and raced past a few Real Madrid defenders with a series of exceptional touches. To finish it off, he slid and guided the ball with his right foot into the side netting. Messi displayed his incredible acceleration and skill with this legendary piece of art.

2013
With very little space to operate, Messi defied the odds with a jaw-dropping piece of skill in a 2013 La Liga match vs. Athletic Bilbao. After first receiving the ball and evading one defender, Messi slowed down and cut back inside. He then hesitated and teased three defenders, slicing past them with supreme elegance. Once he opened up a sliver of space for a shot, he guided the ball past the goalkeeper with incredible composure. This goal was an archetypal example of Messi showing that the use of raw speed isn’t always necessary to dribble past defenders in tight areas.

2015
During Barcelona’s 2015 Copa del Rey Final match against Athletic Bilbao, Messi illuminated the stadium with an extraordinary moment. After a tricky pause while standing with the ball close to the halfway mark, he darted to his right past a defender. When he got close to the sideline, three defenders tried to corral him, but the lack of space didn’t faze the Argentine. He cut in and then caressed the ball around the left side of his opponent, and ran past him on the right. Messi picked up steam toward the right side of the box. Another defender approached but he quickly cut inside and fired home a near-post golazo. This solo run by Messi was absolutely superhuman.

Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.

Barcelona vs. Atlético Madrid, 2011
Because Messi Made Getting by the Defender and Finishing Look So Effortless

Tenerife vs. Barcelona, 2010
Because Messi Chipped It over the Goalkeeper with Amazing Precision

Argentina vs. Mexico, 2007
Because Messi Smoothly Lobbed the Ball over the Goalkeeper from a Tough Angle

2007
Early in his career, at just 19 years old, Messi gave the world a glimpse of his immense talent with a magical solo goal against Getafe. After settling the ball on the right flank in Barcelona’s own half, he danced past an onrushing opponent. He then nutmegged the next man before accelerating forward. With a group of defenders ahead, he skipped inside and poked the ball past a sliding defender. Darting into the box, Messi pretended as if he would shoot but instead smoothly dribbled around the goalkeeper before ultimately putting the ball in the net. This magnum opus vs. Getafe encapsulated Messi’s otherworldly ability.

Let us know in the comments what your favorite Messi goal is that you saw!