Some moments in sports have etched their position in history books. These moments have seen players rise to an iconic status, with fans celebrating them fervently. One such incident happened in the 2009 edition of the UEFA Champions League final. A twenty-two-year-old Lionel Messi scored one of the most audacious goals of his career against Manchester United, helping Barcelona lift the European title. La Pulga, following the goal, pulled off an iconic celebration that has struck him to his date.

Lionel Messi touched down on his goal and celebrated against Manchester United during an interview with Konami. During the interview, he stated how the goal had a special place in his heart. The interview showcased some of the most iconic moments from Messi’s career, including one that might still give Jerome Boateng nightmares!

Lionel Messi speaks on his iconic celebration against Manchester United

The soccer fraternity always destined La Pulga to go down as one of the greatest of all time. The Argentinian, at 22, had already become a feared attacker by running rings around the defense. One of the best moments in his career came in the 2009 clash Champions League final clash against Manchester United.

With Barcelona needing a goal, Messi, against the run of play, jumped in mid-air as he headed the ball past United’s Edwin van der Sar to find the back of the net. La Pulga, following the goal, pulled out his boot to celebrate, using it as a telephone. Messi, during his interview with Konami, was asked to elaborate on his celebration, and he had this to say:

Messi stated, “It was a beautiful moment because of what it meant. The boot thing was improvised. I’m not exactly used to jumping in the air and heading the ball. So it was just a moment in the game that happened that way.”

While Messi’s goal and celebration against Manchester United is undoubtedly one of his best moments, the player has a lot of plays that can make a day-long highlight reel. One such moment came during the semifinals of the 2015 Champions League when Messi made a meme out of Jerome Boateng.

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Messi toys with Jerome Boateng before dinking one over Manuel Neuer

Lionel Messi was at his absolute best back in 2015. The player alongside Neymar Jr and Luis Suarez had become a dominant force as Barcelona rattled teams one after the other in the Champions League. The first leg of the semi-finals saw former Barcelona manager Pep Guardiola return to Camp Nou alongside his new side, Bayern Munich.

While fans expected a great side between the two sides, Barcelona toyed with the German side. However, the talking point of the game came from the 80th minute of the game. With Barcelona leading by two goals, Messi was 1v1 with Bayern’s defender Jerome Boateng in the attacking third.

What happened next is something fans will never let Boateng live down his entire life. Messi, facing Boateng, dribbled the ball past the defender as he took to the ground like a sack of potatoes. To add to Bayern’s misery, Messi dinked the ball over Manuel Neuer to lodge the ball into the back of the net.

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Messi’s goal against Bayern Munich in the 2015 Champions League semi-finals is one of the best goals of the player’s career! What is your favorite Lionel Messi goal? Let us know in the comments below.