Lionel Messi‘s soaring popularity after winning the FIFA World Cup in Qatar has resulted in an influx of fan-made videos celebrating his godlike footballing skills.
Recently, a fan edit of one particular instance from Inter Miami’s season opener against Real Salt Lake drew comparison with one of Messi’s finest moments in a Barcelona shirt.
The reel, which was created by @messitrewans on Instagram, transports viewers in a time-bending realm of nostalgia.
Against the haunting melody of Lana Del Rey’s “Summertime Sadness,” Messi orchestrates an artistic masterpiece, weaving his way through the Real Salt Lake defense with the grace of a ballet dancer.
This move was reminiscent of Messi’s famous goal for Barcelona against Bayern Munich in the Champions League, where the Argentine wizard feinted and with a drop of his shoulder, sent German defender Jerome Boateng tumbling to the turf before chipping the ball delicately over the goalkeeper’s outstretched arms to score one of the most famous UCL goals of all time.
As the reel unfolds, the creator perfectly merges the present with the past, to create one of the coldest edits you will ever see in a football video.
While the Real Salt Lake goalkeeper saves this attempt, the scene seamlessly transitions back to 2015 where Messi’s audacious lob finds its mark, almost as if the goal has been perfectly recreated in 2024.
The music adds a tinge of sadness that Messi couldn’t score, despite registering an assist for the opening goal and helping Inter Miami beat Real Salt Lake by 2-0. It serves as a poignant reminder that even Leo is not perfect, although the sequence will be replayed by football lovers for as long as football is still around.
Fans will get to see Lionel Messi in action on Sunday, as Inter Miami face New York City in another exciting round of MLS action that might well provide us content for more cold edits.
