Lionel Messi topped by Nico Gaitan's 'Panenka free-kick' for Benfica in 2014

Lionel Messi is famous for a very many things and making the so-called ‘Panenka free-kick’ a worldwide phenomena is one such thing.

Just recently, we reminisced about one of the most unique goals that the Barcelona legend has ever scored, impudently finding the back of the net with a free-kick against Espanyol in 2019.

Such was the casual and nonchalant manner in which Messi simply floated the ball over the wall and quite centrally towards the goalkeeper that the finish was duly compared to Antonín Panenka’s legendary penalty technique.

And while countless players can lay claim to have chipped a spot-kick down the middle, there are very, very few footballers who can say that they’ve scored a free-kick in much the same way.

Now, don’t get it twisted, there ultimately isn’t such a thing as a pure ‘Panenka free-kick’ because that would somehow require the goalkeeper to pick a side and for the ball to float unchallenged straight down the middle.

But Messi’s internet-breaking strike in the Derbi Barceloní undoubtedly came as close as physically possible, just with a little help from a deflection off of Victor Sanchez along the way.

However, just because Messi’s legendary ‘Panenka free-kick’ might have fit the criteria and made the feat famous, it doesn’t mean that he’s delivered the best version of the technique imaginable.

First thing’s first, there’s actually good reason to think that a cheeky free-kick that Messi scored against Almeria in 2010 not only fit the bill too, but was actually a better version of the finish.

However, we can still up the quality even further courtesy of a strike which has sadly been forgotten by many, but has nevertheless gone viral once again this week – and for good reason.

That’s because