Messi faced Getafe when he scored his Maradona-style Copa del Rey goal in 2007.
On April 18, 2007, Barcelona played Getafe in the Copa del Rey semifinals. Messi collected the ball inside his own half and drove toward goal, weaving past five defenders before finishing. The run covered roughly 60 metres and immediately invited comparisons with Diego Maradona’s famous 1986 World Cup “Goal of the Century.”
The comparison was especially striking because Messi was still only 19. Within seven weeks, he produced another Maradona echo, scoring a controversial handball goal against Espanyol that resembled Maradona’s “Hand of God.” These moments helped establish Messi as Barcelona’s next global superstar.
A common mix-up is Espanyol, because that match also involved a Maradona-related comparison. The celebrated solo Copa del Rey run, however, came against Getafe. Barcelona ultimately failed to reach the 2007 Copa del Rey final.