At a glance
- On April 24th, 2017, Lionel Messi famously held his shirt up to the Bernabeu.
- The iconic moment came after scoring a winning goal – his 500th for the Blaugrana – at the death in El Clasico.
- Barca won 3-2, but Real Madrid took the La Liga crown that season.
Lionel Andrés Messi Cuccittini – remember the name.
On this day in 2017 – April 24th – the Argentine made sure the Bernabeu did just that by scoring the winning goal in El Clasico and holding his shirt up to Madridistas.
As is common at this time of year, the Clasico was potentially a title decider. Madrid led at the top, and a win for them would’ve effectively handed them the title.
After a cagey opening half hour, Casemiro put the hosts ahead on 28 minutes in addition to one hand on the title.
Needing just five minutes to respond, however, Messi was up for the fight amid a Marcelo elbow leaving him bleeding from the mouth.
With a redstained tissue between his teeth, LM10 continued trying to find a breakthrough with his team, which came when Ivan Rakitic put them ahead on 73 minutes with a screamer.
Ramos thuggery paves the Barcelona greatest
As punishment for a reckless two-footed challenge, Sergio Ramos recieved a straight red and left his team with 10 men.
Rather than act as a disadvantage for Madrid, however, they equalised through James Rodriguez five minutes from the death.
In typical never say die, fashion, though, the Catalans started a swift stoppage time move from near their penalty area. In perhaps the best run of his career, Sergi Roberto went on a hell-bent 60-yard stampede.
Finding Jordi Alba, the left back dispatched that textbook pull back that went so well between the two for Messi to sweep the winner into the bottom corner past Keylor Navas.
In what became arguably the most famous celebration of this century, Messi marked his 500th Barca goal by holding his Blaugrana shirt up to the Bernabeu stands for all to see.
The number 10 got a yellow card for that act, but he hardly seemed to care as a 3-2 victor that had the last word. Nine years on, Alba explained the logic behind Messi’s inspired decision just a few weeks ago.
Alba explains a key moment of Messi history
“During the match, there were chants and insults aimed at Messi – they even called him disabled and a dwarf,” a now retired Alba revealed.
“Messi didn’t find it funny at all. In the locker room at halftime, he got upset and told Luis Suarez that those people didn’t belong in football. And they kept it up in the second half… When Messi scored the winning goal, he approached the crowd, lifted his shirt, silenced everyone, and said: ‘Remember my name’.”
Though Madrid would go on to win the title on the last day of the season, it is Messi’s silencer and commemoration of it that remain in the memory.
