Cape Town - Barcelona superstar Lionel Messi has scored over 500 goals for his club, but he regards the one he scored against Manchester United in the 2009 Champions League final as one of his favourites.
With Barcelona leading 1-0 as the game entered the last 20 minutes, and with Sir Alex Ferguson's men looking for the equaliser, the diminutive Messi rose above Rio Ferdinand and Edwin van der Sar to head home Xavi's cross and kill off the game for Barcelona.
And, speaking to FourFourTwo, Messi revealed that the goal was one of his favourites.
"It was hard to imagine that I was going to score with my head with (Rio) Ferdinand standing near me, but I didn’t really have a marker - the ball came into the centre and I was there to meet it," said the Argentine.
"In the moments that the ball was in the air from Xavi’s cross, I pictured scoring this goal and I thank God it happened.
"It was such an important goal in every sense: for the team, for the way the final was turning in our favour and for me, too. It’s still one of my favourite goals.
"After missing the 2006 final through injury, it was very special for me just to play in this game, let alone score in it. It completed a great season when we won everything."