Lionel Messi’s goal celebration: The touching reason behind it and what it means

Lionel Messi has scored over 500 goals in his career.

The Barcelona forward is arguably the greatest player ever and has scored countless amazing, truly breathtaking goals. Almost every time Messi scores he points to the sky, usually on his way back to his own half to prepare for the game to restart and score again. It turns out Messi's celebration is in honour of his grandmother, who passed away before he made it big with Barca.

"I am doing this because I dedicate my goals to my grandmother. She took to me to football but now she can't see how far I have come. Nevertheless, she continues to help me and my family," Messi revealed a couple of years ago.

Messi's grandmother brought him to his first football game, according to Luca Caioli, the author of a biography on the player. A coach in Rosario, Messi's hometown in Argentina, was reluctant to play him as a youngster due to his small stature, but Messi's grandmother insisted the boy received a run-out. "Put him on and you'll see how well the little boy plays," Messi's grandmother told the coach, who replied: "OK, but I'm putting him near the touchline so that when he cries you can take him off yourself." She didn't have to take him off, and the rest is history. Catch up on the first episode of Football Friday Live...