LIONEL MESSI lit up the Club World Cup with a goal fans reckon should earn him a NINTH Ballon d’Or.
The iconic attacker conjured astonishing curl to whip a 25-yard free-kick high inside the right corner as Inter Miami stunned Porto.
53′ ARE YOU NOT ENTERTAINED?
Messi scores a GORGEOUS free kick goal and @InterMiami are now leading 2-1 versus @FCPorto!
Watch the @FIFACWC | June 14 – July 13 | Every Game | Free | https://t.co/i0K4eUtwwb | #FIFACWC #TakeItToTheWorld #MIAFCP pic.twitter.com/KvshKKFrrY
— DAZN Football (@DAZNFootball) June 19, 2025
Lionel Messi wheels away in delight after his stunner[/caption]
David Beckham’s team went wild after the 37-year-old left viewers claiming he was as good as ever.
One raved: “he is incredible! Messi is from another planet! Give him the ballon d’Or!”.
Another wrote: “The curl on that! What a goal from the greatest ever.”
And a third posted: “You don’t leave the legend with a foul like that to score the goal.”
If anything, Messi’s strike looked even better when seen on the innovative Ref Cam.
REF CAM: best view in the house to witness Messi greatness
Watch the @FIFACWC | June 14 – July 13 | Every Game | Free | https://t.co/i0K4eUtwwb | #FIFACWC #TakeItToTheWorld #MIAFCP pic.twitter.com/ML6YTXmaLC
— DAZN Football (@DAZNFootball) June 19, 2025
The Argentina and ex-Barcelona hero somehow made his deadball magic look easy as he needed barely any backlift to swing it int the net from just outside the penalty area ‘D’.
And it left Miami chasing a famous win – as they overturned Samu Aghehowa’s eight-minute spot-kick opener following a soft penalty award.
Venezuela midfielder Telasco Segovia thumped Miami level just 96 seconds into the second half.
And messi struck seven minutes later.
