Find out has Messi ever scored an own goal?

Lionel Messi is one of the greatest players in football history, always known for his extraordinary scoring ability and exquisite playing style. However, in his illustrious career, there are many questions surrounding the rare moments that a player can encounter, such as scoring an own goal. So, has Messi ever scored an own goal? Let’s join the experts at kingsoccertips to learn in detail about the situations related to this in his career to find the answer for yourself.

Answer has Messi ever scored an own goal?

Lionel Messi is considered one of the best players in football history, having enjoyed an incredible career filled with countless individual and team achievements. He is not only known for his incredible goalscoring ability, but also for his intelligent play, superb passing ability and impressive ball handling. Messi has contributed greatly to Barcelona and then Paris Saint Germain, and helped Argentina win the 2021 Copa America and most recently the 2022 World Cup. So throughout his long career at club and national team level, has Messi scored an own goal?

Despite playing in thousands of international and club matches, and facing countless dangerous situations in both defense and attack, Messi has never scored an own goal. This is a strange thing in football, because even the most talented players can have moments of error, especially when they have to participate in defensive situations. However, Messi has always been known for his excellent accuracy and vision, which helps him avoid situations that could lead to an own goal.

One of the reasons why Messi does not have an own goal situation may be because he rarely has to participate in tense defensive situations. As an attacking player, Messi’s main job is to score goals and create goals for his teammates. However, in situations where he has to drop deep to support the defense, Messi always shows composure and the ability to quickly solve the situation. He usually only appears in defensive situations when his team is under strong pressure, but Messi’s presence in these situations still does not result in any own goal moments.

Lionel Messi has never scored an own goal

Although own goals are not uncommon in football, especially for defenders or goalkeepers, this highlights Messi’s brilliance. By never scoring an own goal, Messi has proven to be not only an excellent attacker but also a very reliable player in every situation on the pitch. He always knows how to maintain focus and accuracy in every ball handling phase, regardless of the situation.

The fact that Messi has never scored an own goal also partly reflects his personality and style of football. Messi is not only outstanding for his attacking ability but also a model of professionalism and carefulness in every situation. With a career spanning many years, the fact that he has not made such a big mistake shows that he has always maintained stability and high concentration in every playing situation, worthy of the title “Best Player in the World” that he has achieved throughout his career.

Some situations that almost caused Messi to score an own goal

Although Lionel Messi has never officially scored an own goal in his entire playing career, he has had some dangerous situations that could have led to him scoring against his own team. Here are some moments in Messi’s career where he almost scored an own goal:

Match with Real Madrid – La Liga 2014: In a tense match between Barcelona and Real Madrid in La Liga, Messi almost scored an own goal in a complicated move. After a free kick from Real Madrid, the ball was sent into the penalty area and while Messi tried to block it, he accidentally hit the ball. Luckily, Barcelona goalkeeper Claudio Bravo reacted in time and blocked the situation, saving Messi from an own goal.
Match with Espanyol – La Liga 2018: Another situation occurred in the Catalan derby between Barcelona and Espanyol. In a chaotic situation in the penalty area, Messi almost scored an own goal when trying to clear a dangerous ball. However, he missed the ball and almost put the ball into his own net. Fortunately, goalkeeper Marc-André ter Stegen stood firm and saved Barcelona, helping Messi avoid this embarrassing situation.
Match against Bayern Munich – Champions League 2015: In the Champions League quarter-final between Barcelona and Bayern Munich, a very notable situation occurred when Messi and his teammates had to face a strong attack from the opponent. In a defensive situation, Messi was forced towards Barcelona’s goal by a strong shot from Bayern players. Messi missed the ball and the ball almost flew towards his own goal. However, goalkeeper ter Stegen once again made an excellent save and prevented the own goal.

Some situations that almost caused Messi to score an own goal

Match vs. Argentina – Copa América 2015: In a match at the Copa América 2015 between Argentina and Paraguay, Messi also experienced a dangerous situation that could have resulted in an own goal. In a defensive situation late in the match, Messi was faced with a cross from the opponent. He tried to head the ball away but almost sent it towards the Argentina goal. However, once again, Messi was lucky when goalkeeper Sergio Romero saved the ball, keeping Argentina out of that situation. Match vs.
Uruguay – World Cup 2018 Qualifiers: In a match at the World Cup 2018 Qualifiers between Argentina and Uruguay, Messi had a difficult defensive situation in an unexpected situation. After an attack from Uruguay, Messi was faced with a dangerous shot. In an attempt to block it, he accidentally kicked the ball towards his own goal. However, once again, goalkeeper Romero made an excellent save, saving Messi from an own goal.

Although the above situations did not result in an own goal, they show that in football, even excellent players like Messi can encounter risky situations. However, Messi’s composure and defensive ability always help him escape these dangerous situations, maintaining his form and reputation.

Is Messi’s future own goal rate high?

Lionel Messi’s future own goal rate can be considered very low, although it cannot be completely ruled out in some rare situations. Here are some factors that explain why this rate can be very low:

Position and role: Messi is an attacking player, mainly playing as a striker or attacking midfielder, which means that he rarely has to participate in direct defensive situations. Therefore, the possibility of him facing situations with the risk of own goals is very low. Most of the situations that Messi participates in are focused on attacking, scoring or assisting teammates.
Skills and composure: Messi is famous for his excellent ball control and composure in all situations. He has played through many intense matches and faced strong opponents without ever making big mistakes such as own goals. In particular, Messi always maintains a high level of concentration, helping him minimize situations that can lead to own goals.
Changes in defensive roles: Although Messi can participate in defensive situations, he is not the main defender. The team’s defenders will have the main responsibility for preventing dangerous situations and solving the ball in the penalty area. Messi can drop back to support but rarely falls into situations where he faces the risk of own goals.
Support from teammates: Messi plays with excellent defensive players, especially in Barcelona in the past and in the Argentina national team. Strong defenders such as Gerard Piqué, Javier Mascherano (formerly), or current defenders are always ready to protect Messi from dangerous situations. This helps minimize the risk of Messi encountering situations that can lead to own goals.
Career Facts: To date, in over 20 years of professional play, Messi has never scored an own goal. This is an impressive statistic and reflects his consistent playing ability with few mistakes. Although football is always unpredictable, with Messi’s current form and playing history, the possibility of him scoring an own goal in the future is still very unlikely.

Summary

Here we have helped you know the answer to the question “has Messi ever scored an own goal?” Although Lionel Messi has had an illustrious career with thousands of top-level matches, he has never scored an own goal in an official match. This not only reflects Messi’s precision and concentration in defensive situations, but also proves his excellent ball handling ability. Although football always contains unexpected elements, with an impressive career and professionalism in playing style, Messi continues to maintain the image of a player who is not only talented but also extremely stable in all aspects of the game!