The Greatest Lionel Messi Moments at Barcelona

The goal that started it all off in 2005 aged 17 alongside the legendary figures like Ronaldinho and Deco. This goal is not one of Messi’s best, but the symbolism is truly iconic.

In a passing of the torch moment, Ronaldinho scoops the ball through to a future star, who then volleyed the ball over the Albacete goalkeeper. And, the finish itself from Messi, showed the class and composure of an experienced veteran at just 17.

Funnily enough, Messi actually scored moments before this in pretty much the same style, but it was ruled offside.

A goal that to this day still defies belief as it didn't just further enhance the comparisons to the legendary Diego Maradona, it was pretty much a carbon copy of his most famous goal against England in 1986.

By the point of 2007, the Messi and Maradona comparisons were a regular topic of conversation. Being left-footed, Argentinian and the next biggest star coming out of Barcelona naturally brought this on. However, this goal sealed the comparisons and truly established Messi as a modern great at just 19 years of age.

Both men ran from their own half from the right hand side, both beat four outfield players and the keeper. It's truly sensational how comparable both goals are.

Boasting the best front three of recent times and arguably the greatest in football history, Barcelona dispatched of near enough everybody in Europe during 2015 by winning the treble once again, with large thanks to this goal in the Copa del Rey final. After receiving the ball from Dani Alves, Messi twists and jinks his way past no fewer than five Athletic Bilbao defenders, before cutting in on his wand of a left foot and smashing the ball in at the near post.

It's one thing scoring this goal at any moment, but in a final... come on.

It doesn’t come any bigger in club football than a goal in the Champions League final and Messi has managed it twice, both against a Sir Alex Ferguson Manchester United; a time where this United side truly was unstoppable in England.

In a game that saw Messi face Cristiano Ronaldo for the just the third time, Xavi dinked a cross over the head of Rio Ferdinand for Messi to nod into the far corner. In truth, it was all about the exquisite pass from Xavi, as it was enough to beat Ferdinand in the air, who has nine inches on the Argentine.

History repeated itself two years later, as Barca once again beat United in the Champions League final, in what Ferguson later described as the best performance from an opposing side in his career.

Messi stole the show again after drilling a low effort into the bottom corner of Edwin van der Sar’s goal, as the Wembley crowd witnessed arguably the greatest team in history at the peak of its powers.

This was the second goal against Real Madrid on this Champions League night as Messi stunned the Santiago Bernabeu with an electric run through the heart of the Real defence. After a quick one-two with Sergio Busquets, the Argentinian was away, flying past four opposition players and sliding it past Iker Casillas with his weaker right foot.

It is one of his best goals to date, and considering it was the goal that sealed passage into the Champions League final against Real at the Bernabeu, it may just be the most Messi moment you'll ever see.

A reminder he was just 23 at the time.

This El Clasico had it all, but once again, it was Messi who stole the show. After 10-man Real Madrid had scored late on to make it 2-2, it seemed the La Liga title was not over just yet and the onus was on Barca to take advantage of their numerical superiority.

Jordi Alba raced down the left wing and cut it back to the edge of the box for Messi to calmy yet furiously slot home. Messi immediately ran over to the Madrid fans and held his shirt aloft, confirming his status as the top dog in La Liga in the face of his most bitter rivals.

Again, arguably the most Messi moment of all this one.

On route to Messi's third Champions League triumph in 2015, Barcelona met Bayern Munich in the semi-finals of the competition. Bayern keeper Manuel Neuer said pre-game that he intended to show Messi "who’s boss", but it was the Barca man who sent Jerome Boateng to the floor before chipping the ball over a hopeless Neuer and into the net.

Barcelona went on to win the semi-final tie 5-3 on aggregate, with Messi scoring twice and assisting for Neymar in the 3-0 home leg as he put on one of the best Champions League performances of all time.

A professional footballer left another professional on the deck after the simplest of movements. How even?

In what was goal number 600 of his Barcelona career, Messi scored arguably the greatest free-kick in Champions League history.

Sadly for the Argentine, the magical goal has been slightly overpowered by Liverpool's dramatic 4-0 comeback at Anfield in the second leg, but this goal won Goal of the Season and the angle from behind where Messi hit the ball is truly jaw-dropping.

Not just is he the very best at a variety of football skills, but he is perhaps the best at free-kicks of all-time as well with this one being his most memorable.

After Arsenal had shocked European football by beating Barcelona in the first leg of their Champions League Round of 16 tie, the Catalan club had to come from behind to advance and once again, they looked to the magical Messi to guide them through.

After a clever bit of footwork from Andres Iniesta, the ball was dinked through to Messi, who in three deft touches controls it, lobs it over Wojciech Szczesny and smashes it into the net, demonstrating sublime close control under pressure. The goal was also nominated for the Puskas Award, as were others on this list.

To make matters worse, this was Messi's sixth goal in just under a year against Arsenal across three games.

By Luke Feather