The Greatest Accomplishments Of Lionel Messi’s Storied Career

Darren - December 23, 2022

The Greatest Accomplishments Of Lionel Messi’s Storied Career

Darren - December 23, 2022

El Clasico Hat Trick

Every striker dreams of scoring a hat trick and bringing home the game ball. Unsurprisingly, Messi has many hat tricks to his name but this particular example was very special. Amazingly, he scored all three goals for Barcelona in a draw against Real Madrid. He was 19 at the time and lit up the game.

Madrid took the lead three times in the game but Messi pulled Barcelona level without fail. It was very dramatic because it required him to perform in a clutch situation. This is typical of his legendary career because he pulls his teams out of bad situations. Even the young Messi was amazing at this (via Sport Bible).

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Record Ballon D’Or Winner

No player in history has more Ballon D’or wins than Messi. He claimed the prize a record seven times as he left Ronaldo trailing in his wake. The pair dominated the coveted prize for over a decade. It even appeared that Ronaldo could usurp Messi but he fell short. The Portuguese striker has five trophies to his name (via Sporting News).

One of the most remarkable aspects of Messi’s seven victories is his consistent brilliance. His first one came in 2007 while his final Ballon D’Or arrived in 2021. There are issues with this award because offensive players receive a disproportionate number of votes. But his longevity is amazing and deserves immense credit.

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Wembley Champion’s League

After this game, Sir. Alex Ferguson described Barcelona as the best team he ever coached again. This was high praise from the legendary Manchester United manager after his team lost the Champions League Final. They had high hopes of beating the Spanish team on home soil in Wembley but couldn’t compete.

Messi produced a masterclass against United as he continuously ripped them apart. He scored a goal against them but this was the cherry on top of his sensational performance. It was one of the most complete displays of his legendary career. This was the type of game that players dream of (via Bleacher Report).

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The Copa America

Many Argentines felt that Messi didn’t belong in the same category as Diego Maradona. That’s because he didn’t enjoy any international success with the national team. He retired because of the pressure and exhaustion that he felt from representing them without winning anything.

However, Messi returned and won Copa America in 2021. Argentina won South America’s biggest international event in the home of their arch rival Brazil. It was also Messi’s 10th major tournament with his nation and changed his status there. It made him a diehard favorite at home for the first time in his legendary career (via BBC).

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World Cup Glory

Finally, Messi won the World Cup in Qatar in 2022. There was a lot of pre-tournament focus on him because everybody expected that it would be the 34-year-old’s final international event. Many analysts predicted that Argentina would be a contender but soccer rarely produces a fairytale ending.

But Messi was central to his nation’s run to the final against France. He became the first player to score in every round of a single World Cup. Meanwhile, he helped inspire Argentina in one of the most frantic and exciting finals ever. Then he slotted away a cool penalty kick in the decisive shootout (via Daily Mirror).

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The Greatest Accomplishments Of Lionel Messi’s Storied Career