Messi was just a little older than what Iorpenda is now when he dazzled for Pep Guardiola's Barca in the that famous 3-1 win against the Red Devils 15 years ago.
Iorpenda does not bring up the eight-time Ballon d'Or-winning Argentine in way of comparison, although the way the Magpies midfielder swivelled near the halfway line then nutmegged an opponent as he set off on a solo run to score Notts County's goal of the season, external against Cheltenham was the most Messi-esque moment in England's fourth division.
"I've always sort of tried to do special things on the pitch, express myself, play with freedom," Iorpenda said.
"But I'd much rather score a lot more goals than special goals."
The recognition Iorpenda got for that goal completed a hat-trick of club prizes, including both the players' player and fans' player of the season awards, in what has been a breakthrough season for the Huddersfield Town loanee.
It has all come just a few years after he was doubting his future in the game, having been released by Premier League side Brighton & Hove Albion as a 15-year-old.
After spending eight years of his junior development with the Seagulls, he was left to look for a new start - one which took him him more than 400 miles north to Huddersfield.
It was a time in his career when he had to rely on the care and understanding of his father Kingsley, who is a youth coach in Brighton, and mother Kate, who is among the founders of No1Fan Club, external – a platform set up to help families navigate football's notoriously challenging and fickle youth system.
"My mum's everything. Literally, I wouldn't be anywhere like this, I wouldn't be here without her," Iorpenda said.
"She's helped me so much, from being released from Brighton and moving up to Huddersfield and then being here. She's supported me the whole way through. And the same goes for dad.
"It definitely knocked my confidence [being released by Brighton] because I'd never really had a setback like that. All the way through Brighton from the age of seven to 15 it was pretty much perfect - playing loads of games, enjoying my football - and then suddenly I wasn't good enough.
"And it was something new for me, which I found hard, but that's why having my parents and friends around me really helped me."
