Lionel Messi’s early international debuts for Argentina

Lionel Messi’s journey with the Argentina national football team began with a decisive Sub-20 appearance on June 29, 2004, against Paraguay. Organized by the Argentine Football Association (AFA) under Julio Grondona, this friendly match served to secure Messi’s eligibility for Argentina and prevent interest from the Spanish Football Federation. Argentina won the match 8-0, with Messi scoring the seventh goal.

His transition to the senior national team occurred on August 17, 2005, in a match against Hungary at the Ferenc Puskás Stadium. Messi’s senior debut was marked by a red card; after entering the pitch to replace Lisandro López, he was sent off just 47 seconds later following a physical dispute with Hungarian player Vilmos Vanczák.