On this day in 2005, an 18-year-old Messi finally received his first call-up to the senior Argentina national team. The highly regarded Barcelona youngster had already been making waves in Spain with his dribbling, close control, and dazzling ability on the ball.
Fans in Argentina were eager to see the teenager who many were already tipping as the country’s next great star.
The friendly match was against Hungary in Budapest. Argentina were comfortably in control when coach José Pékerman decided to give Messi his long-awaited debut in the second half. Wearing the famous No. 18 shirt, Messi stepped onto the pitch in the 63rd minute, replacing Lisandro López. Excitement filled the stadium — but what happened next shocked everyone.
Barely 40 seconds after entering the game, Messi picked up the ball and tried to make one of his trademark dribbles past Vilmos Vanczák, the Hungarian defender. But as he attempted to wriggle through, Messi raised his arm to fend him off and caught Vanczák on the face. The referee, Markus Merk of Germany, judged the action as violent conduct and immediately showed Messi a straight red card. Just like that, his international debut was over before it even began.
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The image of Messi leaving the pitch in tears, covering his face with his jersey, became an unforgettable moment in football history. Many feared it was an ominous sign for his international career. But in hindsight, it was simply the beginning of one of the greatest journeys the sport has ever seen.
Messi would go on to recover from that nightmare debut and write history with Argentina — scoring over 100 goals for his country, winning the Copa América in 2021, the Finalissima in 2022, and finally lifting the World Cup in Qatar in 2022, cementing his place as the greatest of all time.
What started with a 40-second heartbreak became a two-decade story of redemption, triumph, and eternal legacy.