Lionel Messi won his eighth Ballon d’Or, surpassing Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappe in the final vote. The Argentine legend claimed the trophy thanks to an extraordinary performance during the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
As part of the celebrations, Messi granted an interview to France Football magazine in which he reflected about all the milestones reached. In a detail that garnered much attention, the player finally chose his favorite goal from his entire career.
There were many options to choose from, considering his time at Barcelona, PSG, and the Argentine national team. At the moment, Messi has scored more than 800 goals.
“Well, I always say that the most special goals are the important ones. Scoring in the Champions League final or scoring in the World Cup final with Argentina. I don’t know.”
What is the favorite goal of Lionel Messi?
However, there’s a particular goal which came to Lionel Messi’s mind when asked if there was one score that had a different taste than the rest. It was during a moment of tremendous rivalry between Barcelona and Real Madrid in the 2010-2011 season.
“One goal that I always remember and really like because of the goal itself and what it represents is the one I scored against Real Madrid. We won 2-0 in the Champions League semifinal at the Bernabeu. I think the most significant goals are always the most important ones. If I had to pick one now, I would go with one of those.”
At that time, Barcelona and Real Madrid were practically in a soccer war led by two legendary coaches: Pep Guardiola and Jose Mourinho. Therefore, when the draw determined that they would meet in the Champions League semifinals, neither of the two clubs could afford to lose. The impact was indelible.
After that showdown, Barcelona was remembered as the best team in history, while Mourinho always had the pending task of delivering a Champions League trophy to Real Madrid.