Relive Lionel Messi’s unbelievable solo goal against Athletic Bilbao, as we celebrate the forward’s 32nd birthday
Widely regarded as the greatest player to ever play the game, Messi continues to amaze every time he steps onto the pitch.
He’s won all there is to win with Barcelona, although success on the international stage has just evaded him. That could change this year though, with his country through to the knockout stages of the Copa America.
With 603 goals in 687 games, Messi is Barca’s all-time leading goalscorer. That goes alongside his title as LaLiga’s great goalscorer too.
He boasts the record for most goals in all club competitions in a calendar year (79 in 2012), top goalscorer in a club season (73 in 2011/12) and the all-time leading scorer for his country.
Lionel Messi’s Barcelona records
- Top goalscorer in the UEFA Champions League: 108 goals
- Top goalscorer in European competitions: 111 goals
- Top goalscorer in international competitions: 116 goals
- Top goalscorer in official competitions: 602 goals
- Top goalscorer including friendlies: 637 goals
- Most hat-tricks scored in all competitions: 41
- Most goals from free-kicks: 39
- Most goals scored from penalty kicks in La Liga: 51
- Top goalscorer in El Clásico: 26 goals
- Top goalscorer in the Athletic–Barcelona clásico: 24 goals
- Top goalscorer in the Derbi barceloní: 25 goals
We could sit here all day going through the records, such is the impact he has made on the game.
There’s also a number of incredible solo goals to look back on. His effort against Real Madrid in the Champions League in 2011 or the hat-trick scored against Valencia in 2010 are two often mentioned.
However, arguably his greatest ever goal came against Athletic Bilbao in their Copa del Rey clash at the Camp Nou in 2015.
Picking up the ball on the right, Messi beats one man before being surrounded by two more defenders.
Despite the trio being bunched together, he finds a way through and sprints into the box. With little room to shoot on his right, he shifts the ball onto his left foot and finds the bottom corner from a tight angle.
Relive the remarkable goal below with a video shot from the stands.