Long before becoming a World Cup winner, captain and the all-time leading scorer for the Argentina national team, Lionel Messi experienced a debut that few could have imagined.
What Was Lionel Messi's First Match for Argentina?
On August 17, 2005, an 18-year-old Lionel Messi made his senior Argentina debut against Hungary in Budapest. His first appearance lasted only moments before ending in the most unexpected way.
His first match for the senior national team came on August 17, 2005, in a friendly against Hungary at the Ferenc Puskás Stadium in Budapest. Argentina won the match 2-1, but the night is remembered primarily for what happened to the teenage star.
A Debut That Ended With a Red Card
Head coach José Pékerman sent Messi onto the field in the 63rd minute, replacing Lisandro López. He was only 18 and had arrived with the senior team shortly after becoming a champion and the outstanding player of the 2005 FIFA U-20 World Cup.
His debut, however, was over almost as soon as it began.
Messi received the ball and attempted to escape Vilmos Vanczák, who grabbed his shirt while trying to stop him. As Messi tried to break free, his arm caught the Hungarian defender. German referee Markus Merk interpreted the incident as violent conduct and immediately showed him a red card.
FIFA's retrospective states that Messi was dismissed just 47 seconds after coming on, while an AFA account calculates 92 seconds on the field. Regardless of the statistical discrepancy, the central point remains the same: Messi's senior international debut ended almost immediately with a sending-off.
Argentina Won 2-1 in Budapest
The score was already 2-1 when Messi entered the match. Maximiliano Rodríguez had given Argentina the lead, Sándor Torghelle quickly equalized for Hungary and Gabriel Heinze scored what proved to be the winning goal.
That red card gave little indication of what was to come. Messi was quickly called up again by Pékerman and, only months later, scored his first senior international goal against Croatia on March 1, 2006.
The Hungary match ultimately became one of the great curiosities of an extraordinary international career. The player who would go on to captain Argentina, win the World Cup and break countless national-team records began his senior international journey by coming off the bench and receiving a red card only moments later.
