Barcelona and Argentina hero Lionel Messi responds when asked to pick 2 best goals from his career

In Oviedo to receive the Princess of Asturias Award for Sports, Barcelona hero Lionel Messi was asked to name the two best goals of his illustrious career. The Argentine admitted it isn't easy to choose from the 936 goals he has scored for club and country.

Speaking to the Spanish news agency EFE at the Hotel de la Reconquista in Oviedo on Thursday, the day before the ceremony, Messi said (translated from Spanish):

“It’s extremely hard to choose.”

Lionel Messi, however, eventually settled on one. The 39-year-old stated that the goals he scored for Argentina in the 2022 World Cup final against France were the most important of his career 'for what they meant, the moment and the kind of match it was'.

Notably, he scored twice in the final at Lusail Stadium as Argentina won on penalties after a 3-3 draw.

When choosing a goal from his time at Barcelona, Lionel Messi's answer stayed broader. He named no specific goal and admitted it could be anything from a goal in a Champions League final, one in El Clasico, or one from another match of particular significance.

The Inter Miami star stated:

"If I had to choose two goals that hold a special place in my life, I honestly don’t know.

"But with the national team, I would probably pick a goal from the World Cup final, because of what it meant, the moment it came, and the importance of the match.

"As for Barcelona, I might choose a goal from a Champions League final, an El Clásico, or another particularly important match."

Lionel Messi will receive the award on Friday at the Teatro Campoamor, in a ceremony presided over by King Felipe and Queen Letizia. In the same interview he remembered his father, Jorge, who died in August and had been eager to see him collect the prize.

Lionel Messi has refused to pick a single favorite Barcelona goal in the past as well

Lionel Messi's Barcelona career leaves no shortage of important goals. He scored in the 2009 Champions League final in Rome, heading Xavi Hernández’s cross past Edwin van der Sar as Barcelona beat Manchester United 2-0. The star forward also scored in the 2011 final at Wembley, a 3-1 win over the same opponent.

The eight-time Ballon d'Or winner also scored two goals in the 2011 Champions League semi-final first leg at the Santiago Bernabéu, a 2-0 win over Real Madrid. It included one of the most celebrated solo goals of his career, a run from near halfway through a cluster of defenders. Lionel Messi also scored a solo goal in the 2015 Copa del Rey final against Athletic Club.

In an interview with ESPN Argentina’s Martín Arévalo back in 2023, Messi called the solo goal at the Bernabéu the most beautiful one of his career and the World Cup final goal as the most important.

However, in 2025, in another interview for the 'A goal in life' charity project, he picked the header against Manchester United in Rome in 2009 as the best one, saying it rounded off an unforgettable year.