Lionel Messi is one of the greatest footballers of all time and has played in several iconic stadiums in his career. Argentina has dominated the football game, appearing in Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain and now Intermiami since 2004, with fans from around the world swarming into the stadiums and seeing attackers active.
The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner won four Champions League titles at Barcelona, playing for many European countries, during which he faced a raucous crowd.
Interestingly, Messi actually chose one Scottish giant as “the best vibe in Europe.”
Messi’s Records vs Celtic (Home and Away) | |
|---|---|
game | 6 |
I’ll win | 5 |
the goal | 8 |
Messi’s Records vs Ranger (Home and Away) | |
game | 2 |
I’ll win | 1 |
the goal | 1 |
In 2007, Messi played in a 0-0 Champions League group stage draw with the Rangers on his sole visit to Ibrox.
He got much better against the Celts on the other side of Glasgow, but he won a brace in 2008 and 2016 and rode the scoresheet in a 2-1 loss in 2012.
He confronted Fraser Forster when the Hoops defeated Barcelona, and Messi later admitted that he was left shocked by the goalkeeper’s display that night.
“Fraser Forster’s performance against us has been talked about for a long time. There was one game in Scotland when he wasn’t human. It was the best goalkeeping performance I’ve seen.
Messi determines the best vibe between Celtic and Rangers
In 2015, Messi was asked to name the best stadium atmosphere he’d ever experienced as a player. He nominated Celtic over the Rangers, describing Parkhead as “special”, “hard to go” and “best” in Europe.
“The match against Celtic was special. I remember them. Celtic Park is a difficult place to go. It’s never easy to get results there. If we portray them in the Champions League, we know we’ll get a tough game, but everyone who participated in the Barcelona vs Celtic Game wants to go again.
“It’s the best atmosphere in Europe and we all want to experience it again.”
Currently with Intermiami in the United States, Messi may not play at Parkhead again, but his three visits to Glasgow certainly left a mark on one of the best footballers to play the game.
