As we await the full return of world football, we’re taking this opportunity to look back on some of the most memorable goals ever scored. Going frame by frame, we’ll dissect how, exactly, these epic moments came to fruition.
Who, where, and when?
- Goalscorer: Lionel Messi (Barcelona)
- Match: Barcelona vs. Manchester United
- Competition: Champions League (final)
- Date: May 27, 2009
Barcelona‘s 2008-09 season will go down as one of the greatest a European football club has ever authored.
Boasting a 22-year-old Lionel Messi, a spectacular midfield, and rookie manager Pep Guardiola, the club became the first Spanish side to capture the treble, capping its league- and cup-winning domestic campaign by securing the continent’s most coveted honor, the Champions League title.
Though it wasn’t an end-to-end affair, Barca’s 2-0 win over reigning champions Manchester United in the final will long be remembered for the magical moment in which Messi, the tournament’s top scorer that season, found the net with – of all things – a picturesque victory-sealing header.
Here’s the goal, complete with a bevy of wonderful slow-mo angles, in its entirety:
🏟️ Stadio Olimpico, Rome
🗓️ 2009 #UCLfinal💫 A moment of magic from Messi…#UCL pic.twitter.com/y6eXnUrIQe
— UEFA Champions League …read more