In brief
Lionel Messi stands out from other elite players due to his ability to score amazing goals.
One of Messi’s less well-known goals is regarded by Thierry Henry as the best he has ever seen.
Messi is a once-in-a-lifetime talent due to his unparalleled skill and control.
Over the course of his incredible career, Lionel Messi has made scoring spectacular goals a routine. If you were to list the top 30 goals scored by the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner, you might be sure that most elite players could only hope to score one.
Messi’s ability to dribble past opponents as if they weren’t there, especially in his prime, allowed him to score an absolutely incredible number of goals on his own. Many people consider the Argentine to be the best player of all time for a variety of reasons, this being just one of them. At times, he even left some of his amazing colleagues, with whom he shared a dressing room during his career, in utter amazement.
Thierry Henry’s memory of his favourite goal, which was scored by a former Barcelona teammate, serves as evidence of this. Given that the Frenchman is among the greatest football players to have played in the last 20 years, his praise is difficult to come by and quite flattering.
Great Goalscorer and Scorer of Great Goals
Messi has scored a host of iconic stunners
Everyone recalls Messi’s run against Getafe, which was reminiscent of Diego Maradona’s, and it may go down as his best goal ever, but that explosive peak of his career was filled with scores where he easily dribbled past many defenders. Because of this, Messi is probably unique in that one of his supposedly forgotten goals may be hailed by someone as one of the best they have ever seen.
Not just any elderly person, either, as Henry believes that a stunning strike that doesn’t usually make top ten lists is the best Messi strike he has ever seen. Yes, the guy who is considered by many to be the best player in Premier League history has made a somewhat unconventional choice regarding the greatest goal of all time, but it makes perfect sense when the Frenchman breaks it down.
On His Favourite Messi, Henry ‘Normal’ goal blows the Frenchman away
Speaking at the 2018 film ‘Take The Ball, Pass The Ball,’ Messi’s former teammate recalled an incredible finish from the Argentine wizard in a La Liga match against Malaga in the 2008-09 season. Henry was especially impressed by Barcelona’s all-time record scorer’s blink-and-you’ll-miss-it footwork, which left everyone stunned, even more than Messi’s strike against Getafe.
“The best goal I’ve seen him score was against Malaga at home because what he did defied logic,” Henry clarified. He sprints at maximum speed while controlling a diagonal ball on his chest. The first player leaves, followed closely by the second. That player can clear the ball if he takes one more step.
“How do you go back with the same leg and touch the ball in the air, between the two, to make sure that man doesn’t touch it, and then almost fail but smash it into the top corner if he’s got the ball on his left foot here? That isn’t typical.
See the goal below in all its splendour:
Thierry Henry talking about his favourite Messi goal is the best thing you will see today.pic.twitter.com/z0VDQfuAYu
— Nolo (@NoloFCB) January 16, 2023
Leo Messi – A Once-in-a-Lifetime Talent
The footballer regarded by many as the greatest ever
When you can score a wonder goal that simultaneously goes missed in the shuffle and is regarded by Henry as the best he has ever seen, you know your body of work is incredible. And it’s easy to understand why Henry was so captivated by that frequently overlooked Messi goal; it’s incomprehensible to be so adept at controlling the ball against so many opponents in such a short amount of time.
We are really fortunate that we can rest easy knowing that Messi has left us so many things to remember him by that even his brilliant moments may be forgotten when the terrible day comes for him to hang up his boots. He truly has a skill that comes only once in a lifetime.
Barcelona Statistics for Lionel Messi
Time of year
Games
Objectives
2004-05
9.
One
2005–06
25
8.
2006–07
36
17
2007–2008
40
16
2008–2009
51
38
2009–2010
53
47
2010–11
55
53
2011–12
60
73
2012–2013
50
60
2013–14
46
41
2014–15
57
58
2015–16
49
41
2016–17
52
54
2017–18
54
45
2018–19
50
51
2019–20
44
31
2020–21
47
38
Henry: Don’t Try and Copy – He is Messi
Only Messi can get away with walking during matches
Gary Lineker questioned Henry on the Rest Is Football podcast about his time practicing and playing with Messi at Barcelona. The Argentine was on a completely other planet from everyone else, according to the Arsenal veteran, who played with him at Camp Nou from 2007 to 2010.
“I’ve seen a lot,” he remarked. I did a lot myself. It’s not usual for this person. I’m aware that some will say, “He walks.” Are you aware of the difficulty of carrying a ball at every action? In addition, Lineker said, “It’s gruelling.” “Every. Single. Action,” Henry went on.
When folks don’t balance things out, I don’t like it. When he doesn’t have the ball, he walks. Sometimes, perhaps a lot of times. So, can we discuss when he has the ball? Because each and every time, he accelerates, turns, stops, moves, gets kicked, and gets back up. Are you aware of how taxing that is on your body? Running on one leg, carrying a ball on the grass, getting kicked, protecting it, and having vision—could he occasionally be able to walk? You can go anyplace [laughs] if you help me win. But only him. Please, kids, don’t do it. Avoid walking! We are discussing Messi.
Watch the video below:
Henry's Advice to young players,
" Do not try to copy him, he is messi "pic.twitter.com/gVMgEUGUDP
— 3.14⚽ (@314_MFC) October 14, 2023
Messi Has no Plans to Retire
Despite his advancing years, he plans to continue playing
Messi, who left Paris Saint-Germain for Inter Miami, is now 37 years old and loving football once more. He may be eyeing the 2026 World Cup finals after leading world champions Argentina at the Copa America in 2024. Messi’s final World Cup appearance was anticipated to be in Qatar in 2022, but it wouldn’t be shocking if he played for La Albiceleste in the upcoming major international competition, which will take place in Mexico, Canada, and the US, where he currently resides.
According to SPORT, Messi stated, “I haven’t thought about it and I don’t want to think about it either,” when asked about his future intentions in a 2024 interview. I want to keep having fun doing what I do. I made a significant move by abandoning Europe. I want to enjoy what I love most, which is playing, and not worry about what comes next. I’m fortunate to have a career I adore. I have obligations. I’m unsure of my future plans, but I enjoy everything football-related, working with children, teaching, and serving as a sporting director.
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