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Football17 Years Old Lionel Messi Makes His League Debut for Barcelona, Video
- Lionel Messi made his debut for Barcelona in 2004 at age 17
- The Argentine came on as a substitute for Deco against Espanyol
- Messi is the most-capped Barcelona player of all time with 778 matches
Lionel Messi’s legacy at Barcelona is unrivalled as the Argentina icon holds too many records at the Catalan club, including being the most-capped player for the club during his 17-year stint in Spain.
The journey for the boy from Rosario, however, began in 2004 when he made his first official appearance for the Catalan giants after impressing with the youth teams.
According to GOAL, Messi was promoted to the senior team during the 2004-05 season, and he made his La Liga debut for the club on October 16, 2004, against city rivals Espanyol.
In the 82nd minute of the game, the Argentine replaced Deco as a substitute and by so, became the youngest player to represent Barcelona in a recognised competition when he turned 17 years and three months old.
Having played for 17 seasons, 778 games and scoring 672 goals, Messi became Barcelona’s most decorated player after winning 10 La Liga titles, seven Copas del Rey, eight Spanish Super Cups, four UEFA Champions Leagues, three European Super Cups, and three World Club Cups.
Messi tipped for eight Ballon d’Or
Meanwhile, Family friend Alessandro Dossetti said that Lionel Messi has been notified that he is the winner of the 2023 Ballon d'Or, Sportskeeda reports.
The 36-year-old Inter Miami forward, who led Argentina to the 2022 FIFA World Cup title in December 2022, has been nominated for the prestigious award alongside Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappe.
Messi bagged seven goals and three assists in seven games at the World Cup, also picked the Golden Ball award and is now widely tipped to win an eighth Ballon d’Or when the award is announced on October 30.
Messi chasing Ronaldo’s scoring record
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FootballEarlier, Sports Brief reported that currently, the race for the all-time top goal-scorer in the men’s game is down to a duel between veterans Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi.
The two players, who have shared the stage for nearly 15 years, are in the twilight of their respective careers but neither seems to be slowing down.
At the time of publication, Ronaldo is the leading goal-scorer with a staggering 849 career goals. Messi follows closely with 819 goals.