To many, Lionel Messi is the greatest footballer of all time, with his record-breaking performances having contributed to titles such as the Champions League and the World Cup, the biggest prizes in club and international football.

From rewriting the history books at Camp Nou to finally getting his hands on football’s biggest prize in 2022, and even taking his talents into MLS with Inter Miami, the Argentine has built a goal-scoring CV that places him among the most prolific players the sport has ever seen. But for all the trophies and milestones, one detail of his career has nothing to do with stats at all.

Almost every time he scores, Messi looks up and points both index fingers to the sky, a gesture that’s become as recognisable as the goals he scores.

Why Lionel Messi Points to the Sky When He Scores

The gesture is a tribute to Messi’s grandmother, Celia Olivera Cuccittini, who passed away when he was still a young boy in 1998. Celia played a hugely important role in his early years in football, reportedly taking him to his very first training sessions and pushing for him to be given a chance to play despite his small stature.

It’s a pretty consistent habit for someone who’s scored as many goals as he has.

What Other Celebrations Does Messi Have?

Even though pointing to the sky is his signature and go-to celebration, it’s far from the only one Messi has used throughout his career.

He’s been known to run away from the goal with his arms out, often mobbed by teammates in the process, like in the 2022 World Cup final.

There have been more specific tributes too. Messi has previously marked the birth of his children with a thumb-sucking gesture aimed at the camera.

One of Messi’s other celebrations is perhaps one of the most iconic images in football. Back in 2017, Messi scored an injury time winner in El Clasico at the Bernabeu. From there, he removed his shirt and stood in front of the Madridistas in the stands, with his name and number held up at them.

He was even more combative with his celebration during Argentina’s victory over the Netherlands in the quarter-finals of the 2022 World Cup, standing before the Dutch bench and cupping both ears after netting a penalty, in a direct response to Louis van Gaal, who had criticised Messi’s work off the ball ahead of the match.

For someone who’s had the odd controversial moment, his celebrations have generally stayed fairly understated. There’s been none of the elaborate choreography seen elsewhere in the game, and even his most famous moments tend to be built around emotion rather than spectacle. That’s arguably part of why the sky-point has endured for so long, fitting neatly with a player who lets his play do the talking.

Lionel Messi Goal Records

Hannah McKay via Reuters

Messi’s sky-point has been performed more times than almost any other celebration in football history, a byproduct of just how often he’s found the net across two decades at the very top of the game.

He holds the record for the most Ballon d’Or awards ever won, comfortably ahead of anyone else in the conversation. He’s also Barcelona’s all-time leading goalscorer, sitting well clear of the next name on the list. In 2026, he became the top scorer in World Cup history.

Scoring aside, Messi has broken records as a creator too, holding the mark for the most assists provided at both club level and on the international stage.

Given how often he’s found the net throughout his career, it’s safe to say very few players will ever dedicate quite so many goals to one single person.