:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/61450327/1035556902.jpg.0.jpg)
Lionel Messi got Barcelona’s Champions League campaign off to the perfect start at the Camp Nou on Tuesday, as he scored the opener with a brilliant free-kick.
The Barca captain swung the ball over the wall, past goalkeeper Jeroen Zoet and into the top corner from 25 yards out.
It went a little something like this:
Lionel Messi.
— Football on BT Sport (@btsportfootball) September 18, 2018
Free-kick.
25 yards out...
Top corner
We really are running out of words to describe this man! pic.twitter.com/YDkIZ6XiL5
Messi. Magic. pic.twitter.com/1V2eamkSRk
— Bleacher Report Live (@brlive) September 18, 2018
The goal means that Messi is just the second player to score in 14 consecutive Champions League seasons.
It’s also the eighth goal he’s scored from a direct free-kick in 2018, that’s a new record for the 31-year-old.
8 - Lionel Messi has scored eight direct free-kicks in 2018 - the most he has netted in a calendar year. Laser. pic.twitter.com/clYvloZWu3
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) September 18, 2018
He’s also scored 10 more direct free-kicks than anyone else in the last five years.
25 - Lionel Messi has scored 25 direct free kick goals for @FCBarcelona in the last five years, at least 10 more than any other player in the Top 5 European leagues (all competitions). Maestro. pic.twitter.com/OUW98C7UZ0
— OptaJavier (@OptaJavier) September 18, 2018
Messi is already miles ahead of the rest when it comes to free-kicks, and it seems he’s just getting even better.