Lionel Messi's Barcelona debut marks 22 years

FC Barcelona is commemorating the 22nd anniversary of Lionel Messi’s official debut. The Argentine forward made his first appearance for the first team on October 16, 2004, as a 17-year-old substitute in a La Liga match against Espanyol. During his 17 seasons with the club, Messi scored 672 goals and provided 303 assists across 778 appearances, becoming the club's all-time leading scorer and winning numerous titles, including 10 La Liga trophies and 4 Champions League titles.

Recent disclosures by journalist Florent Torchut have revealed the internal debates that occurred when Messi was 13 years old. Documents from La Masia scouts show conflicting evaluations of the young player. While some scouts praised his technical ability and compared him to Diego Maradona, one report recommended against signing him, citing concerns that his physical limitations and height of 142 cm would prevent him from competing at a high level. Ultimately, Barcelona decided to proceed with his signing, a move that shaped the history of modern football.