“Is Messi a real player or a PlayStation character?” retired Colombian star Radamel Falcao once famously pondered. Well, you can hardly put the ex-Manchester United striker on trial for his question. After all, Lionel Messi‘s proficiency as a soccer legend can hardly be questioned, with his play becoming more legendary with every season. The Argentine icon has inspired countless future stars with his incredible talent and list of achievements, and he continues to do so. Now, one rising NWSL sensation has also admitted to taking a page from the 38-year-old’s book to hone her own skills.

On Sunday, the Portland Thorns clashed with the Chicago Stars at SeatGeek Stadium. While the match ended in a 1-1 draw, it was Olivia Moultrie‘s Lionel Messi-esque free kick in the 12th minute that stole the show and left a lasting impression among the fans. With that goal, the 19-year-old became the highest-scoring teenager in NWSL history. During the halftime break of the match, Olivia’s comments were shared via a post on X by Attacking Third.

On being asked how she felt about her inch-perfect free kick in the first half, Moultrie confessed with a smile, “I’ve watched Messi become too good at them so I’ve decided I wanted to add it to my arsenal.” While she also admitted that she’s been working on her free kicks, we’re ready to accept that the Thorns’ star has been going over Messi’s videos frequently to fine-tune her own spot kicks.

Moultrie turns 20 in just three days, and the fans would suspect that etching her name in the history book was a special gift to herself before her big day. However, as the star confessed during her mid-game interview, she had completely forgotten about the record before it was mentioned by the interviewers. “I forgot about it in the moment. It’s not my first priority, I just want to help my team win, but I was excited about it,” the Portland star said with a grin. But one thing is for sure: the goal she scored today will hardly be leaving the fans’ minds any time soon.

That’s an understatement, though, to be honest. The Thorns were awarded a free kick after Reilyn Turner was fouled just outside of Chicago’s penalty box on the left side. As Moultrie stood there, assessing the situation, Stars’ goalie Alyssa Naeher kept shouting out instructions to her teammates to form an efficient wall. However, the teenager’s kick proved to be too difficult for the hosts, and with that, Olivia passed Jaedyn Shaw to become the NWSL’s all-time top teenage goalscorer with her 4th goal of the season.

While the Stars did equalize the scoreline in the final minutes of the first half, Moultrie’s goal was too good to just overlook. While Messi fans have become accustomed to such sights over the years, we understand that it was a special way for the 19-year-old to step into the history books. As highlights of Sunday’s match start doing the rounds, fans will no doubt be drawing parallels between Olivia’s thumping free kick and those of Lionel Messi’s numerous ones. But then again, that’s just how things have been for years now: you can’t possibly hope to achieve something on the soccer pitch and not prompt comparisons with the 2022 World Cup winner.

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Lionel Messi keeps setting the trends even to this day

In August, LAFC stunned the soccer community by announcing its latest signee: Son Heung-Min. The Korean striker has been the poster kid for EPL’s Tottenham Hotspur for more than a decade and has cemented his position as a legend in the London club. Heung-Min agreed to the trip across the pond for a whopping $26.5 million contract, a number that still falls significantly behind the figure that the Herons offered Lionel Messi three years ago. And yet, the ex-EPL star didn’t hesitate to admit that his move was largely inspired by the ex-Barcelona winger.

“We are very lucky to watch Lionel Messi playing football in the same generation. Watching him play, scoring so many goals, and joining the MLS, I think it will affect so many players, and it also affects me that what he has done for his club and for his country. It just also changed my mind,” Son told ESPN on how he decided to give in to the “Messi effect” after much deliberation.

Moreover, when a fan-run social media page suggested that Son’s signing could get more fans to tune in to watch the MLS compared to Messi, fans didn’t waste time to arrive in throngs to highlight that the Argentinian left-footer’s popularity can hardly be toppled by the likes of the former Tottenham star. Safe to say, Messi continues to be the benchmark soccer fans swear by even after decades of seeing him play at the highest level of the sport.