Lionel Messi Year in Review Top 5 Best Moments from soccer star’s 2023
The Argentina national team and Inter Miami superstar had another unforgettable year.
We have all run out of superlatives to describe what Lionel Messi does on the pitch and everything he has accomplished throughout his unprecedented career.
2023 was filled with a lot of change for Messi, as he switched clubs and dealt with injuries that kept him on the sidelines for longer than he’s used to.
Still, that didn’t stop him from providing his fans with special moments.
Top 5 most memorable moments of Lionel Messi’s 2023 year
Messi nets his 800th goal in front of Argentina crowd
Following Argentina’s World Cup triumph, the country had to wait until March of 2023 to see their national team in action once again.
During the international break, Argentina hosted Panama for a friendly at the Estadio Monumental in Buenos Aires.
Seeing Argentina in their first game since beating France was already a treat, but Messi made sure to make it even more special.
He sunk a free-kick in the 89th minute, scoring his 800th career goal and sending everyone home with another unforgettable moment. Argentina also held a ceremony fo the World Cup winners after the game.
Messi scores amazing free-kick in Inter Miami debut
After his departure from PSG, Messi decided to take his talents to South Beach (Fort Lauderdale is close enough!) and sign with MLS side Inter Miami.
His presentation was marred by a vicious thunderstorm, but he came out to greet fans and said a few words.
Just a few days later, Messi made his official debut, coming on as a substitute against Cruz Azul in the first group match of the Leagues Cup. With the score at 1-1 and with the final touch of the game at his feet, Messi did what he always does.
A stroke of magic from a free-kick gave Inter Miami the win and saw the crowd go berserk in his debut.
Messi and Inter Miami win first trophy in club’s history
Messi’s Leagues Cup magic didn’t end there. He scored eight goals over his next five games in the tournament, leading Inter Miami to the final, where they faced Nashville SC.
Messi gave Miami the lead in the first half with a vintage goal, but the game was to be decided in a penalty kick shootout.
Messi began the series by slotting his shot in, and goalkeeper Drake Callender saved the final PK to give the club its first-ever piece of hardware.
Argentina break Brazil’s long-running home World Cup qualifying record
An Argentina-Brazil match can never be normal, and that was certainly the case when the two soccer powerhouses met in November for a 2026 World Cup qualifier in Brazil. Police got involved in the stands prior to the game and there were doubts whether the game would be played.
The show went on and Argentina beat Brazil 1-0 at the Maracana, marking the first time Brazil has lost a qualifying game at home in their entire history.
It was far from Messi’s best game, although later it was revealed that he was playing through a heavy muscle strain.
He had to sub off in the second half, but he did enough to influence the game at various moments. And he walked away with a historic national team victory, yet again.
Messi wins 8th Ballon d’Or of his career
To cap off what was a bit of a rollercoaster year for Messi, he was rewarded with the most prestigious individual award in the sport.
Sharing the podium with young superstars Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland, the 36-year-old Messi won the Ballon d’Or by 105 points over the Manchester City striker.
It marked the eighth time the Argentinian has won the Ballon d’Or. No other player has won more than five (Cristiano Ronaldo). It will very likely be the last time Messi wins the award, but he now holds a record that could genuinely be impossible to break.