Lionel Messi's most peculiar mark in 2023, has not occurred for 19 years

Lionel Messi closes 2023 with a very curious brand. The best footballer in the world ended the year without having scored a penalty goal, something that had not happened since 2006. The captain of the world champion Argentine team finished with 28 goals and gave 12 assists, in the accumulated in the Albiceleste, Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) and Inter Miami.

The last time Leo scored from twelve steps was on December 18, 2022 in the epic final against France at the World Cup in Qatar. At 22 minutes, the player from Rosario opened the scoring with a cross shot and then converted again in the same way that ended up consecrating the team led by Lionel Scaloni.

Then La Pulga started the year playing for PSG, in which he scored nine goals, eight from field play and one from a free kick, which gave the Parisian team an agonizing 4-3 victory over Lille. Messi was able to win another title in Ligue 1, but he failed to establish himself in the Champions League, the great ambition of the French club.

Messi did not renew his contract with PSG and decided to move to the United States to sign with Inter Miami, where he debuted with a great goal from a free kick against Cruz Azul in the Leagues Cup match, the competition that the La franchise ended up winning. Florida and it was the first title of that team.

Messi's preparation

While he continues to enjoy his vacation at his house in Funes, a town near Rosario, Messi also started his own preseason and is training. In the last few hours he published a photo with his wife, Antonela Roccuzzo, in which they both showed themselves in a gym. Leo wants to arrive in the best shape possible for the preseason with Inter Miami, which will seek to win its first Major League Soccer (MLS). In the previous season, the Argentine star arrived in the last stretch of the regular phase and the pink team could not overcome the bad start to the year to get into the playoffs.