LIONEL MESSI’S goal for Barcelona at the weekend that he dedicated to Diego Maradona was eerily similar to one scored by the late legend himself in 1993.
The 33-year-old paid tribute to the Argentine icon after he scored during the 4-0 win over Osasuna.
Lionel Messi scored Barcelona’s fourth goal of the game
Fans immediately compared Lionel Messi’s goal to one scored by Diego Maradona
Maradona tragically passed away last week after suffering a heart attack at his home, aged 60.
Messi was among the long list of stars to pay tribute to the former Barcelona forward.
When he returned to action on Sunday, Messi incredibly mimicked a goal scored by Maradona 27 years ago.
He picked up the ball outside of the box, beat two defenders then fired a shot into the far corner of the net.
It was freakishly similar to the strike by Maradona on his debut for Newell’s Old Boys in 1993.
And Messi was actually in the crowd for that match when he was just six years old.
During an interview with TyC Sports, the Barcelona star spoke of his memories of that day.
He said: “I don’t remember much, I was very young, but I saw Maradona on the pitch the day he made his debut against Emelec.”
Lionel Messi was in the crowd when Diego Maradona scored the goal in 1993
After Messi’s goal on Sunday, he whipped off his shirt to reveal a Newell’s Old Boys jersey.
Despite the touching tribute, the six-time Ballon d’Or received a yellow card.
Two of Maradona’s former clubs, Newell’s Old Boys and Boca Juniors, also went head-to-head this weekend.
Both teams paid tribute to the 60-year-old – which left his distraught daughter in tears.
Lionel Messi paid tribute to Diego Maradona after he scoredCredit: Getty Images – Getty
All Blacks pay tribute to Diego Maradona with classy gesture to Argentina players ahead of performing the Haka
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
