Lionel Messi all-time top ten goals

Jun 18, 2016; Foxborough, MA, USA; Argentina midfielder Lionel Messi (10) during the first half of quarter-final play against the Venezuela in the 2016 Copa America Centenario soccer tournament at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports
Jun 18, 2016; Foxborough, MA, USA; Argentina midfielder Lionel Messi (10) during the first half of quarter-final play against the Venezuela in the 2016 Copa America Centenario soccer tournament at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports /
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BARCELONA, SPAIN – MAY 30: Lionel Messi of FC Barcelona competes for the ball with Mikel Balenziaga of Athletic Club during the Copa del Rey Final match between FC Barcelona and Athletic Club at Camp Nou on May 30, 2015 in Barcelona, Spain. (Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images)
BARCELONA, SPAIN – MAY 30: Lionel Messi of FC Barcelona competes for the ball with Mikel Balenziaga of Athletic Club during the Copa del Rey Final match between FC Barcelona and Athletic Club at Camp Nou on May 30, 2015 in Barcelona, Spain. (Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images) /

Athletic Bilbao – May 2015

Lionel Messi’s pace and skill on the ball are often a combination that can be a nightmare to defend. That nightmare became a harsh reality for Athletic Bilbao in the Copa del Rey final two years ago.

In the 20th minute, Messi takes over the match and manages to crush the opposition’s spirit in one brilliant sequence of events.

Barcelona work their way toward midfield, with Messi gaining possession just past the halfway line. With three Bilbao defenders draped all over him, a flurry of pace and surreal dribbling skills see Messi streak up the right side of the pitch and turn inside with an eye for the back of the net.

Once inside the penalty area, it appears as though he will look to utilise the angle he has created to make the goal happen. Instead, he beats the keeper near-side with a blistering effort that sends the crowd into mass hysteria.

Frustration can come about often in football, as even some the best plans and tactics do not work out successfully. For Athletic Bilbao that day and many other Spanish clubs throughout the years, Lionel Messi is a source of ultimate frustration on the pitch.