Lionel Messi's 1000 IQ free-kick for Barcelona gets better every time we watch it

Lionel Messi has one of the greatest footballing brains in the history of the sport.

Yes, the Barcelona legend is a prolific goalscorer and yes, he's a world-class playmaker to boot, but what makes Messi truly special is his ability to think two steps ahead of everyone else on the pitch.

One of the joys that comes with watching the Paris Saint-Germain star strutting his stuff is the knowledge that he's only ever a few minutes away from producing something you've never seen before.

Whether it's the legendary 'Panenka free-kick' or the iconic pass-penalty to Luis Suarez, Messi is universally loved for his uncanny ability to deliver moments that bring supporters to their feet.

So, as we hotly anticipate Messi's return to action at the Parc des Princes, we thought that it only made sense to mine some of the incredible memories that prove his unrivalled footballing IQ.

And we're once again looking back to free-kicks because Messi's rise as one of the best set-piece takers in the business over the last five years has prompted some elaborate tactics to stop him.

During his final seasons at Camp Nou, opposition teams would try every trick in the book to prevent Messi from scoring what felt like a free-kick every single week.

From players laying behind the ball to positioning defenders on the line to essentially just flooding the box, La Liga sides threw the kitchen sink at their attempts to neutralise Messi from a dead ball.

And that's where Messi's incredible footballing brain comes into things because the Barca legend had an ingenious response to the dilemma in 2020: why don't I just pass instead?

During a league clash at Celta Vigo, Messi lined up a free-kick in a position so tantalising that even watching the video with the