Inter Miami forward Lionel Messi named the header he scored against Manchester United in the 2009 Champions League final while representing Barcelona as the favorite goal of his storied career.
"I had many goals that are perhaps even more beautiful and of enormous value, also because of their importance, but the header in the Champions League final against Manchester United was always my favorite," Messi, who has scored more than 800 goals for Argentina, Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain and Inter Miami, said in a statement Thursday.
The goal was Barcelona's second in a 2-0 win over Man United that saw Messi win the first of his three Champions League titles with the Catalan club.
The eight-time Ballon d'Or winner chose the goal as part of a "A Goal in Life" charity campaign, partnering with artist Refik Anadol to create a work of art.
"I already knew how special Refik's works are. We were able to meet in Miami, and it will be exciting to discover how he can transform a goal, a moment in sports, into a unique piece of art like the ones he creates," said Messi.
The piece will then be co-signed by Messi and the artist to be auctioned off at Christie's, with all funds raised going to charitable initiatives.
"Leo Messi's goal is more than a defining moment in sport," Anadol said. "It is a complex expression of human action, memory, and movement. By integrating biosensing technologies and advanced AI systems, trained with data from that singular event, we are exploring a new frontier in AI art, one where data becomes emotion, and memory becomes form."
"This project reflects our broader commitment to making the most advanced tools of artificial intelligence accessible and transforming art into direct impact, with all proceeds going to support educational equity and opportunities for children and communities in need."
UEFA granted the rights to the images of Messi's goal to the Inter Miami CF foundation to be shared worldwide.
Inter Miami CF Foundation will lead the 'A Goal in Life' campaign, and is set to reveal the art work on June 11 in New York at Christie's auction house.