Top 10 iconic moments of Lionel Messi's career
Lionel Messi has carved out a niche for himself during an illustrious career for club and country.
The diminutive Argentinian has scored a lot of goals, created many records, and won numerous titles and accolades. Lionel Messi is the all-time top-scorer for Barcelona and Argentina, he has scored the most goals and won the most La Liga titles and Ballon d'Or awards than any other player, among other things. The list goes on and on.
But the Barcelona and Argentina captain has also mesmerised fans and critics alike with his silken skills on the ball, his ability to dribble at pace, his set-piece prowess and ability to create magic with his left foot, to name a few of his magical attributes.
Ten most iconic Lionel Messi moments
Since making his professional debut with Barcelona almost two decades ago, Lionel Messi has continued to enthral and awe in equal measures, showing little sign of slowing down any time soon.
On that note, let's have a look at the ten most iconic Lionel Messi moments.
#1 Hat-trick against Real Madrid (2007)
Lionel Messi really announced himself on the big stage with a stunning hat-trick against Barcelona's arch-rivals Real Madrid in a La Liga game in 2007.
The then teenager could not have chosen a better opponent or a better occasion for his first professional hat-trick. Barcelona and Real Madrid, locked in a tight title race, had everything to play for at Camp Nou on that fateful night.
Twice Real Madrid scored, twice Lionel Messi pegged them back as a frenetic first half ended all square with Barcelona going a man down. Real Madrid capitalised on their numerical advantage to take the lead for the third time in the match in the second.
They retreated deeper into their half as the clock ticked past the 90th minute. But Barcelona and Lionel Messi were not done yet.
Ronaldinho threaded a pass through the heart of a congested Real Madrid defence, but Lionel Messi still had work to do. Unfazed, the then 19-year-old cut onto his favourite left foot, left two Madrid centre-backs - Ivan Helguera and Sergio Ramos - slumping to the turf before rifling a low finish past the despairing dive of Iker Casillas - all in the blink of an eye.
In all three finishes, Lionel Messi showed incredible composure for a 19-year-old. He has gone on to amass 53 more hat-tricks for club and country, but this one will remain special.
#2 'That' goal against Getafe (2007)
In the Copa Del Rey semi-finals in 2006-07, Lionel Messi scored a goal that evoked memories of his compatriot Diego Maradona's effort against England in the FIFA World Cup two decades ago.
Playing Getafe in the first leg of the Copa Del Rey last-four clash, Lionel Messi wooed the fans with a goal of breathtaking brilliance, belying his tender years.
Just before the half-hour mark, Lionel Messi received the ball from Xavi Hernandez in his own half before leaving five Getafe players for dead.
In a dizzying run through the Getafe half, the then-teenager beat Paredes for pace, nutmegged and dribbled past Nacho and left Alexis and Belenguer for dead before beating the onrushing Luis Garcia to slot the ball into an empty net.
#3 The five-goal salvo against Bayer Leverkusen
After a 3-1 win in the first leg away from home, Lionel Messi and Barcelona had one foot in the quarter-finals of the 2011-12 Champions League when Bayer Leverkusen arrived at the Camp Nou.
However, little could the visitors envisage what would hit them that night.
It was the Bundesliga side that started well, dominating the opening exchanges and looking to take the game to Barcelona on their own turf. But things changed when Lionel Messi opened the scoring in the 25th minute.
Xavi lifted a delightful ball to Lionel Messi, who lobbed the Leverkusen custodian Bernd Leno. Moments later, the game was over as a contest, if it was not so already, when Lionel Messi doubled his team's lead on the night with a trademark left-footed finish after receiving a pass from Andres Iniesta.
Leverkusen's high defensive line were to be their undoing once again. This time Cesc Fabregas lifted the ball over the visiting defence and Lionel Messi once again chipped Leno for his third of the game. But the Argentinian was not done for the night.
Lionel Messi scored two more, the second a sumptous curling strike, to become the first player to score five goals in a Champions League game.
The humiliation was complete for Leverkusen, who lost 1-7 on the night and 2-10 on aggregate.
#4 'That' header against Manchester United in the 2009 Champions League final
Lionel Messi has scored many a fabulous goal during his illustrious career. But his strike against defending champions Manchester United in the 2009 Champions League final in Rome remains a special one.
Leading 1-0 after Samuel Eto'o's early strike, Barcelona had to wait till the 70th minute to put the game beyond the visitors. But it was the manner of the strike that would take the breath away. Enter the usual culprit - Lionel Messi.
Finding himself in acres of space, Xavi threaded a cross to the far post, where Lionel Messi had wriggled clear of his marker Rio Ferdinand.
Seemingly hanging in the air forever, Lionel Messi looped the ball over the despairing dive of Edwin Van der Sar. No way the diminutive Argentinian should have beat two formidable and tall opponents in the air, but Lionel Messi did just that.
Later Lionel Messi would term that effort the 'best' goal of his career when he told a Spanish Publication:
"I don't look at goals for their beauty, but their importance. The best goal of my career was the header in the Champions League final, for what that goal and that game meant. I don't have special goals marked out that I'd like to score because for me - the special goals are the important ones."