When Lionel Messi's career is all said and done, the Argentine will have one of the most impressive goal catalogues football has ever seen. But one against Real Madrid stands out against the rest.
The 36-year-old has scored an astonishing 821 goals for club and country since making his professional debut for Barcelona in October 2004. Messi has scored in Champions League and World Cup finals but the eight-time Ballon d'Or winner, who now plays for David Beckham's Inter Miami, has opened up on which goal of his 827 is his favourite to date.
It was his incredible individual run against rivals Real Madrid in the 2011 Champions League semi-final. Sergio Busquets, who is the World Cup winner's teammate in Miami again, laid the ball off and let Messi do the rest of the work, weaving through Real's sea of defenders before finding the bottom corner.
"Well, I always say that special goals are the important thing," Messi told France Football. "To have scored in the Champions League final, to have scored now in the final of the World Cup… I don't know.
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"A goal that I always remember and I don't go much for the goal and for what the goals mean, it’s the goal against Real Madrid, which we beat 2-0 in that Champions League semi-final at the Bernabeu. I think the most significant goals are always the most important ones. But for one, I would stick with one of those."
Messi was back in Paris at the end of last month to collect an eighth Ballon d'Or, returning to a city he left earlier this year following a poor two-season spell with PSG. After the expiration of his contract, a number of destinations were touted: Saudi Arabia to reignite his rivalry with Cristiano Ronaldo, Inter Miami in the MLS, or a return to his beloved Barcelona.
In the end, Messi turned down the riches of the Middle East and a fairytale return to be the frontman of Beckham's project in Miami. He scored 11 goals and provided five assists in 14 games, and also helped the MLS franchise win the Leagues Cup.
Lionel Messi's favourite career goal is his individual run against Real in 2011 (Getty)
The Argentine weaved his way through Barca's rivals in the Champions League Semi-Final (Getty)Despite only just joining Inter Miami, rumours of an offseason return to Barca crept up. However, Messi says his time in Europe is over. "Yes," Messi told L'Equipe on whether his chances of playing in Europe again were over. "Thanks to God, I had an extraordinary career in Europe and won everything I have dreamed of. Now that I have decided to come to the USA, I don't think I will ever return to playing in Europe."
Messi added: "I could have returned, but it wasn't like that. It was something similar to what happened in 2021. It was very similar to having to go to Paris [Saint-Germain] in 2021. I thought about returning to Barca, about my life there, about retiring there as I always wanted, but it wasn't possible."
Messi will be playing games in the MLS offseason but for Argentina in their South American World Cup Qualifiers against Uruguay and Brazil later this month.
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