GOAL runs through Lionel Messi's most memorable masterclasses…
Lionel Messi is in perhaps his final World Cup, and so far, so good for the Argentina icon.
His latest performance – a goalscoring effort in the semi-final against Croatia – was one of his most important, though there are certainly many standout efforts over the years to choose from.
There may be more to come, too, with Messi set to make his second World Cup final appearance when Argentina take on holders France in the 2022 showpiece.
GOAL takes a look at some of his best-ever international performances…
Check out even more magic Messi moments!
Lionel Messi's greatest goals of all timeRanked – Messi's best Clasico momentsGettyArgentina 4-0 United States, June 21, 2016
One of Messi's greatest virtues as a player is that he is not just one of the best in scoring goals, he can also set up his team-mates with ease.
The Copa America Centenario semi-final against hosts United States showed off to perfection those two facets of his game.
Not only did he find the net with an outrageous free-kick effort, he also set up another two goals in a 4-0 rout to send the Albiceleste through to the final.
AdvertisementGettyArgentina 3-0 Ecuador, July 3, 2021
More than five years had passed since Messi's last knockout goal for Argentina when Lionel Scaloni's men lined up against Ecuador in the quarter-finals of the Copa America. But while he left it late, the strike truly proved worth the wait.
The Barcelona ace had pulled all the strings for his side throughout the game, playing in both Rodrigo De Paul and Lautaro Martinez for their goals to put Argentina 2-0 ahead. Then, in injury time, it looked as though he would have the chance to add his own when Piero Hincapie appeared to commit a penalty on Angel Di Maria.
A VAR check eventually changed the decision, giving Messi a free-kick on the edge of the box. But it did not change the captain's task much, as he dispatched a glorious effort to notch Argentina's third and round off a brilliant all-round display.
GettyArgentina 3-0 Mexico, July 11, 2007
How different might Messi's international career have turned out if he could have kept Juan Roman Riquelme by his side a little longer?
The two iconic No.10s formed a glittering partnership for the few short years between Leo's emergence and Roman's controversial retirement in 2009 amid rumours of a falling-out with coach Diego Maradona. But they were at least together long enough to give us several unforgettable games.
One of the best was Argentina's Copa America semi-final demolition of Mexico in 2007, as Messi and Riquelme both got on the scoresheet in a dominant 3-0 win.
The then-Barcelona kid netted his side's second of the evening, an outrageous chip that ranks among his very best international goals.
GettyArgentina 2-1 Bosnia & Herzegovina, June 15, 2014
While Messi was by no means a disappointment at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, his failure to find the net even once as Argentina reached the quarters was a curious anomaly – one he was desperate to correct once the next finals came around.
In Brazil, therefore, he wasted no time in finding the net during a virtuoso display against Bosnia & Herzegovina in Argentina's very first game. "I’d had to wait eight years for my second World Cup goal. We wanted to have a great tournament and started off with a win against Bosnia, and I scored our second goal," he recalled to .
"It all happened very quickly. I picked the ball up near the halfway line and tried to burst towards their penalty area. I played a one-two with Gonzalo Higuain and then shot from the edge of the box. Luckily, it all came off."