Messi Magic : The Argentine’s Best Goals

The 24th of June is a special day for not just football fans, but for every person who calls himself/herself a sports enthusiast. Why? Because on this very same day in the year 1987, in the small town of Rosario, Argentina, the greatest player to have ever graced the beautiful game of football was born. Lionel Andres Messi has left spectators, commentators, critics and even his opponents awestruck on numerous occasions. As the consummate Argentine celebrates his 29th birthday today, let’s take a look at the some of the spell-binding goals scored by a player who has an aura that often leaves his non-supporters basking in his brilliance instead of being disappointed with their own team:

With the score tied at 1-1 in the 80th minute, Barcelona won a free-kick on the left-most corner of the box. The angle of the shot was quite difficult even for a right-footed player who would have been more suitable in that situation than a left-footed one . Naturally, everyone expected Xavi to take the free-kick. However, it was Messi who took the shot, and defying the laws of physics, he curled the ball over the wall and into the right side-netting, thus leaving the tall Thibaut Courtois completely bamboozled by what had just happened and sending the commentators and spectators into a frenzy.

http://https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A7PlBKfInAM

With the match evenly poised at 1-1, Messi added fuel to further raise suspicion on whether he was a footballer from this planet by producing a magical goal. Picking the ball inside his own half, Messi made a mockery of the Bilbao back-line as he scurried past four defenders and netted an emphatic finish in the bottom-right corner. It was a goal that made the likes of David Beckham marvel at the Argentine wizard as the English legend posted a pic of Messi on his Instagram account, captioned “Copa Del Rey Final(Wow) The Magic of Messi.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bOX2QpfMkq4

This was one those goals which is bound to stay in the record books as one of the Barcelona forward’s greatest goals in Argentinian colors. And he made sure it would be a memorable one for himself as he broke Gabriel Batistuta’s record and became Argentina’s all-time top-scorer. Argentina won a free-kick well out-side the box on the left-hand side of the pitch. Messi whipped the ball past the wall, curling it beautifully from left to right. The ball whisked past American keeper Brad Guzan’s out-stretched hand and hit the tightest spot of the top-right corner. This was one of those goals that could make you feel that Messi was born with the blessings of the football gods.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l6DmVWn2SIs

Lionel Messi has displayed his magnificence on more occasions than one can count, but nothing would have been more sweeter for Barcelona fans when Messi single-handedly sent the defense of bitter rivals Real Madrid haywire. And that too in the Santiago Bernabeu. Hell broke loose for Real Madrid when Pepe was sent-off halfway through the 2nd half with the score still level on 0-0. After breaking the deadlock in the 76th minute, the mercurial forward produced another goal with his footballing wizardry as he picked the ball midway inside Real Madrid’s half and, after a quick one-two with Sergio Busquets, sprinted past Lassana Diarra, Raul Albiol and Marcelo in a trademark run to slide a cool finish past Iker Casillas with his so-called weaker right foot.

Messi has not only brought rival defenders to their knees in a club shirt, but has also done it in national colors. He gave his countrymen a moment to rejoice when he scored an incredible solo winner to beat arch-rivals Brazil in match that ended with the scoreline: Argentina 4-3 Brazil. Messi snatched the ball on the right-side of the pitch, near the halfway line, skipped past two defenders who were no match for his pace, and just when another two were lining up to tackle him from the front, Messi unleashed an unstoppable rocket from just outside the box into the top-left corner of the net.