Lionel Messi's curler vs Benfica wins 2022/23 Champions League Goal of the Season award

Lionel Messi (Source: Twitter)

Lionel Messi won the UEFA Champions League goal of the season when the European league's official site disclosed the finest goal of the 2022/23 season on Friday, June 30. The former Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) forward's beautiful curling strike against Benfica in the group phase knocked out the likes of Vinicius Junior and Erling Haaland for the award.

There will be numerous debates about Messi's goal being chosen above the other ten goals that were shortlisted. Manchester City midfielder Kevin De Bruyne's clean hit against Real Madrid in the semi-finals, and his long-range screamer that helped the treble winners avoid heading into the second leg without a deficit, surely top the list.

What about City striker Haaland's ‘Zlatan Ibrahimovic’ model goal? To break down Borussia Dortmund's defence, the Norwegian jumped in mid-air to grab a dazzling outside-of-the-boot cross from Joao Cancelo. Rodri's incredible deadlock-breaker against Bayern Munich in the quarter-finals and Vinicius Junior's beautiful finish just outside the penalty arc will generate discussion among football fans.

The award, however, went to the 2022 World Cup winner, who teamed with PSG's elite duo to deliver the season's best goal. Kylian Mbappe, Neymar and Messi combined to unlock Benfica's defence, and a rapid piece of play between the Frenchman and Brazilian allowed the Argentine to finish with a spectacular strike.

Watch the video of the shortlisted goals of the tournament:

The Goal of the Tournament results are in... 🥁



Congrats, Leo Messi! 👏#UCLGOTT | @Heineken pic.twitter.com/I4JDZF9xN1

— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) June 30, 2023

The 2022/23 Champions League season was one of the most explosive tournament campaigns in history, with 372 goals scored in 125 matches at an average of 2.98 per game. After a series of priceless moments, magnificent goals and crazy celebrations, Manchester City finally got their hands on the elusive trophy. The Sky Blues defeated Inter Milan 1-0 in the Istanbul to complete the unprecedented treble.

Coming back to the 'Goal of the Tournament' winner, Messi, who did not extend his contract with PSG, is set to join Inter Miami to play in the Major League Soccer (MLS). The 36-year-old was reported to be joining his former club Barcelona, ​​where he found great success, as well as Saudi Arabian club Al-Hilal. However, his decision to move to the United States of America surprised everyone.