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Messi Memes: The Funniest Lionel Messi Memes That Took Over the Internet

The Argentine has become the subject of countless internet memes throughout his career, but some have stood out far more than others.
Barnaby Lane|
Lionel Messi has often found himself becoming a meme.
Lionel Messi has often found himself becoming a meme. | Paul ELLIS/AFP/Getty Images

As one of the most celebrated soccer players of all time, Lionel Messi has spent his entire career under the spotlight—both on and off the pitch.

More often than not, the cameras have captured moments of brilliance: breathtaking solo goals, iconic celebrations, emotional victories and unforgettable moments with teammates. But they have also captured the other side of his journey, from heartbreaking defeats to moments he would probably rather forget.

In the internet age, those snapshots don’t simply disappear. They are transformed, remixed and immortalized as memes—and when the opportunity presents itself, the internet is always ready to turn Messi’s biggest moments into viral gold.

From hilarious reactions to unforgettable celebrations, these are some of the funniest Messi memes ever created, starting with his most recent—and perhaps most entertaining—viral moment from the 2026 World Cup.

Messi’s Viral Nod

The 2026 World Cup semifinal between Argentina and England produced one of the most iconic Messi memes ever created, and it incredibly came from nothing more than a simple nod.

Before Argentina completed its 2–1 comeback victory, Messi found himself involved in a heated exchange with England midfielder Jude Bellingham after a disputed challenge went unpunished. The two superstars briefly traded words in a tense moment between two of the biggest names in world soccer.

As the conversation ended, Messi delivered a rare glimpse of his fiery side. He raised his eyebrows, pushed out his lower lip and gave Bellingham a confident nod that seemed to say, “Alright, let’s go.” For a player usually known for his calm and reserved personality, the brief show of defiance was instantly captivating.

The internet, naturally, had a field day. The expression was quickly transformed into countless memes—from pigeons confidently inspecting a freshly cleaned car to the dreaded moment when your boss gets copied into a passive-aggressive email thread “for visibility.”

Some took it even further, turning Messi’s intense stare into much more outrageous and chaotic jokes (warning: some of the internet’s creativity went well beyond the limits of good taste).

‘Pessi’

This one is for the Cristiano Ronaldo fans.

Over the years, some of Messi’s biggest critics have given him the nickname “Pessi,” usually accompanied by heavily edited images, videos and jokes suggesting the Argentine relies too heavily on penalties or struggles in certain moments.

The meme first appeared during the 2012 Spanish Super Cup clash between Barcelona and Real Madrid. As fans of Messi and Ronaldo debated throughout the match on a discussion board, anonymous users began repeatedly posting “PESSI” as a sarcastic twist on Messi’s name.

For years, the joke remained mostly within online soccer communities before gradually spreading across social media, eventually becoming one of the most recognizable anti-Messi memes on the internet.

The funny part? The criticism has always been somewhat ironic. Messi has scored more than 110 penalties during his career—but Ronaldo has converted over 180. Unsurprisingly, rival fans have since created their own playful nickname for Ronaldo too: “Penaldo.”

Messi & Baby Lamine Yamal

Long before Lamine Yamal became one of the biggest names in world soccer, he was simply a five-month-old baby appearing in a Barcelona and UNICEF photoshoot alongside a young Messi.

At the time, Messi was only 20 years old, but he was already being recognized as a special talent and one of the most exciting prospects in the game. Yamal, meanwhile, was still decades away from announcing himself on the global stage.

During the shoot, one image captured Messi helping Yamal’s mother, Sheila Ebana, bathe the future Barcelona star in a small blue plastic tub—a moment that seemed ordinary at the time but would later become one of soccer’s most famous photos.

For years, some questioned whether the unusual image was genuine. However, UNICEF later confirmed it was real, with photographer Joan Monfort explaining that Messi immediately took a liking to the baby, saying Yamal “stole his heart” because he was always smiling.

Nearly two decades later, the picture has taken on a life of its own. With Messi entering the twilight of his career and Yamal emerging as Barcelona’s next generational talent—and even defeating Messi’s Argentina in the 2026 World Cup final while representing Spain—the image has become pure meme gold.

Most jokes revolve around famous mentor-student or father-son relationships from pop culture. The most popular comparison, however, is likely the Star Wars one, with Messi cast as Obi-Wan Kenobi and Yamal as Anakin Skywalker; the young prodigy learns from the master before eventually becoming the one who surpasses him.

The comparison became even more fitting after the 2026 World Cup final, when the student defeated the master on soccer’s biggest stage.

Sad Messi

2019 Copa America final, Messi
Messi was visibly upset when he got injured in the 2019 Copa America final. | Carmen Mandato/Getty Images

Messi has experienced his fair share of emotional moments throughout his career—from his tearful farewell to Barcelona after leaving the club against his wishes, to the heartbreak of losing the 2026 World Cup final.

But few emotional moments have become as iconic online as his tears during the 2024 Copa América final against Colombia.

With the score still level, Messi was forced off in the 66th minute after picking up an injury. Sitting on the bench, the Argentine captain was visibly emotional, struggling to hold back tears as he watched from the sidelines, unable to help his teammates in the biggest moment of the tournament.

Fortunately for Messi, Argentina found a way to win, with Lautaro Martínez scoring the decisive goal in extra time to secure another major international trophy. But the image of Messi crying still quickly went viral, with the internet turning his emotional reaction into countless memes.

Users transformed the moment into everything from a child devastated after learning about climate change to Messi taking on the role of a World Cup cleaner after Japan’s elimination—playing off the famous images of Japanese fans cleaning up stadiums after matches.

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Barnaby Lane
BARNABY LANE

Barnaby Lane, better known as Barney, is a soccer writer for SI FC. With nearly a decade of experience in the industry, he has worked for a range of household-name publications in both the United States and the United Kingdom, and has interviewed some of the world’s biggest athletes—from Usain Bolt and Rafael Nadal to Christian Pulisic (though his favorite interview remains Adebayo Akinfenwa). Barney specializes in Premier League soccer, covering everything from the nostalgia of years gone by to the modern, vastly different landscape of today’s game. He also has experience reporting on La Liga and Major League Soccer, the latter of which he developed a particular affinity for during his university days at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond.

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