Move over Arsenal Danny Welbeck’s last gasp goal against Leicester City at the Emirates Stadium in London.
The greater wonder of world football on Sunday was Lionel Messi’s penalty kick against Celta Vigo at Camp Nou, Barcelona,Spain
It’s a penalty kick made from the book of genius. And Messi really is a genius.
All was set at the 82nd minute of the game, after Messi was fouled in the box.
Celta Vigo goalkeeper, Sergio Alvarez warmed at the goal post. He stretched his arms, he gesticulated, he calculated, all getting ready to block, if he could, the kick. But genius Messi did the unexpected: he tamely kicked the ball sideways, for Luis Suarez to latch it in for the fourth goal and his hat trick of the day.
Alvarez simply had no chance to stop the goal. Camp Nou erupted. Footballing world was simply stunned about Messi’s goal-tricks.
Was the penalty legal? Did it break footballing and FIFA rules?
No, said the rule followers. On Twitter, Joe Crann provides the FIFA rules that endorsed the penalty as legitimate.
Skysports also reminds us that it was nothing new. In 1982, former Barcelona player and head coach Johan Cruyff, now battling cancer, had staged the same stunt, with Jesper Olsen.
And according to Jon Gill from Sheffield England, Arsenal legend Thierry Henry and Robert Pires once attempted it for Arsenal but failed.
Barca coach and former player Luis Enrique has the last word;
watch on You Tube the video of a penalty that has been termed: penalty of the century: