Lionel Messi Produced One of The Coldest Moments in El Clasico History in 2010

• Barcelona and Real Madrid will renew their iconic rivalry this weekend in the el Clasico
• The derby between two of Spain’s biggest football teams has produced memorable moments in the past
• But no moment is as memorable as one involving Lionel Messi in 2010

The name Lionel Messi is almost synonymous to the el Clasico, and for good reason as well.

Messi, who is gunning for his record-extending 8th Ballon d’Or on Monday, October 30, played his best football when he was at Barcelona, and thanks to his brilliance alongside his football nemesis, Cristiano Ronaldo, the el Clasico rose to become one of the most popular derbies in football.

Barcelona welcome Real Madrid to the Nou Camp on Saturday, October 28 as the two teams renew their rivalry, but cynics argue the derby has lost its spark in recent years.

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After the likes of Messi, Ronaldo, Gareth Bale, Karim Benzema and other iconic names left the La Liga, it seems these big names also left with the hype of the el Clasico.

Make no mistake, however, as the rivalry still runs deep, and neither team will be willing to come out with anything short of a win on Saturday.

Messi Magic in 2010

As far as the el Clasico is concerned, there was one particular incident that stands out among many, and it all has to do with Lionel Messi.

The Argentine, who was at the peak of his powers in 2010, produced a memorable display for Barcelona, which was managed by Pep Guardiola at the time.

The Catalan giants thumped Real Madrid 5-0 in a game which Messi somehow failed to get on the scoresheet.

However, the maestro still made his mark in the game, and no one felt his impact more than Sergio Ramos, who got sent off towards the dying embers of the match.

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At the time, Barcelona were leading comprehensively thanks to goals from Xavi, Pedro, David Villa (brace) and Jeffren Suarez, according to players.fcbarcelona.com.

Ramos, clearly frustrated by the gamem sent Messi to the floor, leaving the referee with little choice but to send the Spaniard off.

Messi, who stayed on the ground for some time after the challenge, then got up and made a majestic walk off the pitch, taking a look at the entire stadium on his way.

Cameras then panned to the scoreline which read 5-0, then to Jose Mourinho, who appeared irate and lost for words in the dugout.

To add to the cinematic moment, Messi walked past his eternal rival Cristiano Ronaldo, who also appeared dumbfounded a few yards from the Argentine, the whole thing was simply surreal to watch.

According to Transfermakt, Messi is the el Clasico’s all time goal scorer with 26 goals in 47 matches.

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Guardiola chooses between Messi and Haaland

Sports Brief also reported on Pep Guardiola’s take on who should win the Ballon d’Or between Lionel Messi and Erling Haaland.

While the Man City boss said Haaland deserved it for scoring '50 million goals', he also suggested that the Norwegian stood little chance against seven-time winner Messi thanks to the Argentine’s World Cup feat.

Guardiola does believe Haaland's goal-scoring heroics should put him in line for the award, but there was a caveat.