Lionel Messi beats Cristiano Ronaldo to UEFA's Goal of the Season award

Lionel Messi has been awarded UEFA's Goal of the Season award for his free-kick against Liverpool at Camp Nou last season.

The set-piece by Barcelona's Argentine star from 30 yards out was his second goal of the match, reports Efe news agency.

Messi's second goal rounded off his team's 3-0 win over Liverpool in the first leg of the Champions League semi-final on May 1.

Cristiano Ronaldo was runners-up in the UEFA award for the goal he scored for Juventus against his former team Manchester United on November 7 at the San Siro Stadium.

The third spot went to Portugal's Danilo who scored the equalizer in a 1-1 draw against Serbia in the Euro qualifiers.

Fans voted on the UEFA website and social media accounts to choose between 10 goals scored in the 2018-2019 season.

The final winners were selected by a jury comprising of former coaches and international players.

This is the third time Messi earned the award, following his success in 2014/2015 and 2015-2016.