Before the 2005 FIFA U-20 World Cup in the Netherlands, a single video clip was enough to launch Lionel Messi's journey with La Albiceleste. The then-Argentine coach, Marcelo Bielsa, appeared bewildered by what he was watching and asked his assistant to play the clip at normal speed, believing it had been sped up.
Messi's debut for the Argentine national team came before that tournament, when former Argentina coach José Pékerman employed a tactic to block Spain's path. Messi had already worn Spain's jersey at the U-17 championship in Finland and was on course to represent Spain at the U-20 World Cup.
According to José Pékerman, the Argentine Football Association exploited a FIFA rule stating that if a player has represented a youth national team, they are not permitted to play for another senior national team. They organized a friendly match for the U-20 squad against Paraguay, attended by no more than 500 spectators.
Messi entered the game in the second half and needed only a few minutes to score a goal and provide two assists, thereby beginning his long journey wearing the Argentine national team jersey.
A Historical Paradox in Messi's Retirement
However, Messi's first World Cup appearance for Argentina carried a historical paradox: Egypt witnessed the beginning of his World Cup story, only to return over 21 years later to witness its final chapter.
On June 14, 2005, Argentina faced Egypt in the second round of the group stage at the U-20 World Cup. At the time, Messi was only 17 years old and was taking his first steps with his national team in a World Cup tournament, having remained on the bench during the opening match.
In that encounter, Messi scored his first goal for Argentina in a World Cup tournament, converting a penalty kick, thus beginning the writing of his World Cup history against the Pharaohs while wearing the Albiceleste jersey.
More than 21 years after his first meeting with Egypt, Messi returned to face the Pharaohs again at the 2026 World Cup, but this time the scene was entirely different.
Messi entered the match as the captain of the Argentine national team and one of the greatest football players in history, scoring his final goal for La Albiceleste in a World Cup against Egypt. Thus, the Pharaohs became witnesses to both the beginning and the end of his World Cup saga.
His goal against the Egyptian national team in the World Cup marked the conclusion of his career with the Argentine national team, as Messi announced his retirement from international football, bringing down the curtain on a journey that spanned many years. During this period, he wore the Albiceleste jersey in major tournaments, winning the 2022 World Cup and the Copa América in 2021 and 2024.
