Twenty years ago, “the little boy from Rosario” made his international bow as a second-half substitute in a friendly against Hungary on 17 August, 2005. The two decades since have taken Lionel Messi from despair to glory, from infamy to captaincy, and from retirement to the pinnacle of the sport.
Here, FIFA takes a look back through the milestones and standout moments from one of football’s most extraordinary international careers.
A sign of things to come
Just shy of a month before making his senior debut, Messi played an integral role in the team which won the FIFA U-20 World Cup Netherlands 2005™. He scored a tournament-high six goals – including both in the 2-1 final win over Nigeria – to win the adidas Golden Boot and the adidas Golden Ball.
Debut dismay
In August 2005, Messi – just like Diego Maradona in 1977 – received his maiden call-up for a friendly against Hungary. Drenched in a baggy shirt tucked into even baggier shorts, the 18-year-old entered the fray in place of Lisandro Lopez in the 63rd minute. Just 47 seconds later, he received the ball and spun away from Vilmos Vanczak, who grabbed a handful of shirt in an attempt to stop the teenager. Messi, though, retaliated with a stray elbow which saw him receive his marching orders.
“We knew the Argentina team was very strong but we wanted to see this player because everybody spoke about him being a big player,” Vanczak told The Athletic in 2022. “Maybe I started his career!”
First goal of many
Messi’s first international strike came in just his sixth cap in a friendly against Croatia in March 2006. After assisting Carlos Tevez’s equaliser, he picked up a misplaced Stjepan Tomas pass, cut in on his soon-to-be famous left foot, and curled home a terrific goal to cap a frantic opening six minutes.
Going global
Messi’s FIFA World Cup™ odyssey began at Germany 2006, as Jose Pekermen selected him amid a stacked forward line featuring Tevez, Javier Saviola, Hernan Crespo and more.
After spending the 2-1 win over Côte d’Ivoire on the bench, Pekermen summoned Messi for his global bow with 16 minutes to go as they led ten-man Serbia and Montenegro 3-0. Within four minutes he scurried into the box and squared for Crespo to tap home before Tevez slipped in the youngster ten minutes later to duly net his maiden World Cup strike.
Final heartbreak
By 2007 Messi was a key cog of the Argentina machine and dazzled as they reached the Copa America final in Venezuela. He couldn’t prevent a Julio Baptista-inspired Brazil securing glory in the Maracaibo showpiece, though, as the Seleção won 3-0.
Golden moment
He would, however, clasp a winners’ medal a year later, as Argentina made it back-to-back Olympic golds at Beijing 2008. At the climax of a spellbinding tournament, Messi set Angel Di Maria away down the left to score the only goal of the final against Nigeria.
Number 10
Following the retirement of Juan Roman Riquelme in 2009, ‘La Pulga Atomica’ (the atomic flea) was handed Argentina’s famous No10 shirt by their new coach and its most renowned owner: Diego Maradona. In his first match in that jersey, Argentina hammered Venezuela 4-0 with Messi scoring and assisting. “I remember Diego telling me he wanted to give me the shirt he’d worn, that he saw me ready to wear it, and that it was time,” he told TyC Sports after the match.
Captain fantastic
Maradona led his side to South Africa 2010 where, in their third group match against Greece, he shuffled his pack to leave Javier Mascherano on the bench, as Messi assumed the captaincy for the first time. He’d help them to a 2-0 win that day, but couldn’t prevent quarter-final elimination to Germany.
A year later, following another early tournament exit at the Copa America, new boss Alejandro Sabella handed the captaincy to Messi on a full-time basis at the age of 24.
Germany spoil Argentina party
Messi’s first World Cup as skipper was Brazil 2014, and he led by example with a string of fine displays. Stunning solo strikes sunk Bosnia and Herzegovina and IR Iran, with two more goals – including a sumptuous free-kick – sending Nigeria packing. He assisted Di Maria’s last-16 winner over Switzerland, dazzled in the defeat of Belgium and drove his side forward in the semi-final win against the Netherlands. But Messi, and Argentina, fell short in the showpiece as Germany ran out 1-0 winners after extra time. He may not have left with the title, but was awarded with the adidas Golden Ball as the tournament’s standout player.
Chilean nightmares
With the Copa America returning in 2015 and celebrating its centenary with a special edition of the tournament a year later, Messi and Co had two chances in quick succession to claim a first continental crown since 1993. Messi dazzled at both finals, and surpassed Gabriel Batistuta as the nation’s all-time leading scorer at the 2016 edition, but both tournaments ended in final shootout defeat to Chile. He initially called time on his international career at the age of 29 following the latter heartbreak, but reversed the decision less than a month later as he wanted to fix things “from inside.”
Russia 2018
Argentina may not have reached Russia 2018 if their captain hadn’t made that U-turn. A stunning hat-trick against Ecuador in their final qualifier ensured they would continue their run of making it to every finals since Mexico 1970. More Messi magic at the tournament saw them scrape through the group after a stunning goal against Nigeria. He then claimed two assists in their rollercoaster last-16 clash with France, but couldn’t prevent a 4-3 defeat.
A familiar feeling
Argentina, now under the tutelage of Lionel Scaloni, went Messi-less for the nine months following Russia 2018, with the forward taking an extended leave of absence. He fully returned for Copa America 2019, but received his second international red card in the third-place win over Chile.
Tenth time’s a charm
The COVID-delayed 2021 Copa America was set to be held in Colombia and Argentina, but home advantage was lost as the tournament moved to Brazil due to the pandemic. La Pulga, though, wouldn’t be denied on this occasion. He scored four and assisted five – while surpassing Javier Mascherano as Argentina’s most-capped player on 148 appearances – to help his side make the final. Messi was below his irresistible best in the Maracana decider against the hosts, but a Di Maria goal in the first half proved enough for him to finally lift a senior major international title at the tenth time of asking.
Messi wows at Wembley again
Victory in Rio ensured Argentina would contest the maiden Finalissima – a one-off match between the Copa America and UEFA EURO winner – against Italy at Wembley. Messi capped a typically impressive display with two assists in a 3-0 victory.
Lusail thriller crowns king Messi
Qatar would “surely” be his last World Cup Messi had said; his final shot at the bullseye of which he fixated. If it was to be his last, he most certainly made it count.
Following Argentina’s opening-day defeat to Saudi Arabia, Messi became a one-man army. He almost single-handedly downed Mexico next time out and scored to help send Australia home in the last 16. A goal partnered an ingenuous assist against both the Netherlands and Croatia to carry La Albiceleste to another final. There, he scored twice in a topsy-turvy 3-3 draw with France, and converted in an uber-tense shootout where he secured the honour he wanted above all others.
Centurion
Argentina were in party mode when they returned home for March 2023 friendlies with Panama and Curaçao, but Messi had further milestones in mind. A goal in the first game took him to 99 for his country and he duly smashed his way into the century club against the islanders, notching a hat-trick to join Cristiano Ronaldo and Ali Daei as the only male footballers to reach triple digits.
Home is where the heart is
Almost a year to the day after signing for Inter Miami, Messi and Argentina took on Colombia in the 2024 Copa America final in the Magic City. While their captain was forced off through injury just after the hour with the game goalless, Scaloni’s men battled on and eventually clinched a record 16th title thanks to an extra-time Lautaro Martinez winner.
