Year Ender 2019 Lionel Messi Special: From Ballon d'Or to FIFA Best Player Award, A look at Top Six Moments of Barcelona Captain This Year
Some of the highlights of Lionel Messi in 2019 which once again has showcase why he is considered the greatest player to have graced the football pitch.
It is very rare for Barcelona and Argentina skipper Lionel Messi to have a quiet year away from the spotlight. The footballer dubbed the greatest of all time had a memorable 2019 season where his goalscoring abilities and hunger for success was brought to the forefront once again. There were those odd minor blips with failure to win the champions league and the Copa America but that can be a case when you are fighting for so many titles. Some personal recognition also came the way of this giant of a footballer and for millions of his fans, it was satisfying to see him win those. A look at the top 6 Lionel Messi moments of 2019. Most Goals for a Single Club: Lionel Messi Likely to Break Pele’s Record in 2020.
2019 Ballon d'Or Win
Lionel Messi moved ahead of Cristiano Ronaldo with his sixth Ballon d'Or victory which again led the world labelling him the greatest of all time. His individual brilliance for Barcelona with a flurry of goals and assists helped him win this accolade.
FIFA Best Player Award
Before winning the Ballon d Or, Lionel Messi was also adjudged the winner of the FIFA Best Player award, his first since 2015. Lionel Messi won the Spanish La Liga title last season and was the top scorer with 54 goals in 58 games that helped him beat the likes of Virgil Van Dijk and arch-rival Cristiano Ronaldo.
A red card against Chile and the subsequent rant – Playing for Argentina against Chile for a third-place match at the 2019 Copa America, Lionel Messi was harshly sent off for his altercation with Gary Medel. In the post-match presentation, Messi had a god at the referee and the entire CONMEBOL administration for bias which resulted in him getting banned. Year Ender 2019: Lionel Messi Starts and Ends Decade As 'The Best'.
Wonder Goal vs Real Betis
Imagine a goal that gets the rival fans to get off their seats and applaud the sheer genius of a footballer. Well, Lionel Messi got that when his delightful chip from a nearly impossible angle gave Real Betis goalkeeper Pau Lopez no chance. The goal was also nominated for the Puskas Award.
Most Pichichi Awards
With 36 goals in 34 games in the 2018/19 La Liga season, Lionel Messi equalled Telmo Zarra’s record for the most Pichichi awards at 6. This was also the third consecutive season he scored the most goals in the league. Lionel Messi Nets 50-Plus Goals in This Calendar Year for Barcelona & Argentina.
First Person to Score in 16 Consecutive La Liga Seasons
The year 2019 also saw Lionel Messi become the first player ever to score in 16 consecutive La Liga seasons. With 428 goals, Lionel Messi is already the leading goal scorer in Spanish top-flight football history.
These were some of the highlights of Lionel Messi in 2019 which once again has showcased why he is considered the greatest player to have graced the football pitch.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Dec 23, 2019 02:58 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).