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#3 The fallen boot in Rome
Lionel Messi's header made history that night, yet it was his boot that secured its place in Barcelona's folklore. With the 2009 Champions League final tilted towards Barca, all thanks to the 10th-minute opener by Samuel Eto'o, the ball broke to Xavi in the 70th minute, who looped it inside Manchester United's penalty box.
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Messi lunged into the air, silencing all the critics who doubted his aerial prowess, and headed the ball past a helpless Edwin van der Sar to double Barcelona's advantage.
After scoring that record-breaking header, Lionel Messi realized that his right boot had slipped off in the process. The little Argentinian ran towards the corner flag to celebrate, kissing his fallen shoe, consequently creating this iconic moment.
Messi's second-half strike sealed the continental treble for his team, the first time in Barcelona's history. Pep Guardiola's men went on to win three more titles, completing the famous 'sextuple'.
#2 Tribute to Diego Maradona
Diego Maradona had always been an outspoken admirer of Lionel Messi. The legendary forward mentored Messi throughout his career, even coaching the former Barcelona number 10 for a while, during his brief spell as Argentina manager between 2008-2010.
Maradona's untimely death in 2020 sent shock waves all across the footballing world. However, his passing especially hit Lionel Messi in an inexplicable manner. Paying a fitting tribute to his idol, the six-time Ballon d'Or winner revealed the iconic red-and-black jersey of Newell's Old Boys and pointed to the sky after scoring in his team's 4-0 win over CA Osasuna.
The special connection behind this emblematic celebration is that Maradona spent a solitary season with the Argentine side, in a year that saw Lionel Messi join the youth ranks of that very team. Nevertheless, the Spanish Football Federation found room for violations in this touching act and slapped a €600-fine on the Barcelona forward for his antics on the field.
#1 The iconic shirt pose at Santiago Bernabeu
Lionel Messi's most inspiring moment in an El Clasico came at the teams' 174th meeting when Barcelona traveled to Madrid in the 33rd match week of the 16/17 season. Their previous encounter ended 1-1, with both clubs sharing the spoils.
It seemed that history would repeat itself, once again, with the match locked at 2-2 in the 90th minute. However, Lionel Messi had something else on his mind. A superb counterattack was launched by Sergi Roberto in the dying embers of the game. As soon as Jordi Alba found the ball, he squared the ball in a spatial area, only for Messi to slot it past a helpless Keylor Navas.
That proved to be the last touch of the game and Lionel Messi ran towards the ecstatic crowd to celebrate. He took off his shirt and pointed it towards an enraged Bernabeu crowd, taunting them with his own name. Barcelona ran out 2-3 victors, with Leo Messi giving birth to one of the most iconic moments in the history of football.
Also read: Top 5 goals scored by Barcelona's Lionel Messi in finals
