Few great careers have been as paradoxical as Messi’s with Argentina. For years, the finest club footballer of his generation was accused of being unable to reach the same heights for his country. In the end, however, Messi enjoyed his greatest moments with La Albiceleste at an age when many others would already have been considering retirement.
A debut that lasted less than a minute
The story could hardly have started worse. On 17 August 2005, the then 18-year-old Messi came on as a substitute in a friendly against Hungary. Less than a minute later, his debut was already over: after a challenge, the referee interpreted an arm movement as violent conduct and showed him a red card.
Messi was already far from unknown at that point. Just a few weeks earlier, he had led Argentina to the U20 World Cup title, finishing as the tournament’s top scorer with six goals and also being named its best player.
His first senior international goal followed on 1 March 2006 against Croatia. A few months later, he was already part of Argentina’s World Cup squad. In the 6-0 victory over Serbia and Montenegro, Messi came off the bench, first provided an assist and then scored his first World Cup goal himself. At 18 years and 357 days, it was already obvious just how extraordinary a talent Argentina had on its hands.
He remained on the bench, however, for the quarter-final against Germany. Argentina lost on penalties – the first of several painful World Cup experiences.
The 2007 chip as his first major statement
By the 2007 Copa América, Messi was no longer merely a prospect but already one of the team’s stars. In the semi-final against Mexico, the then 20-year-old scored one of those goals that would later become typical of his career: from a difficult angle, he delicately lifted the ball over goalkeeper Oswaldo Sánchez and into the far corner.
Argentina played an excellent tournament but were beaten 3-0 by Brazil in the final. It was Messi’s first narrowly missed senior international title – and it would certainly not be the last.
Olympic gold followed in Beijing in 2008. The Olympic tournament does not count as part of the traditional senior international game, but for Messi it was still his first major trophy in Argentina colours.
At the 2010 World Cup under Diego Maradona, however, the breakthrough on the biggest stage did not arrive. Messi failed to score throughout the tournament and Argentina were eliminated by Germany in the quarter-finals after a 4-0 defeat. One year later, the Copa América on home soil also ended in disappointment as Uruguay knocked Argentina out in the quarter-finals.
In 2014, only minutes separated Messi from the ultimate dream
Four years later, everything finally seemed to be falling into place. Messi scored four goals in the group stage of the 2014 World Cup in Brazil and led Argentina through the early rounds. It was not the most spectacular Argentina side of all time, but it was an extremely difficult team to play against, with Messi as the clear attacking focal point, and it battled its way through to the final.
Germany were waiting again.
Argentina had their chances, with Gonzalo Higuaín wasting the biggest one. After 90 minutes, the score was still 0-0. Only in the 113th minute did Mario Götze score the goal that made Germany world champions.
Messi was subsequently awarded the Golden Ball as the tournament’s best player, but on the podium the honour almost looked like a consolation prize. The trophy that mattered most was standing only a few metres away – and it belonged to Germany.
What nobody knew at the time was that things would become even more painful over the next two years.
Three lost finals and the shock retirement
Argentina reached another final in 2015. Against hosts Chile, the Copa América decider remained goalless after 120 minutes before La Albiceleste lost on penalties.
One year later, the same story repeated itself at the Copa América Centenario in the United States. Chile again, 0-0 again, penalties again. This time Messi himself missed, sending his effort over the bar.
It was the fourth final defeat of his senior international career after 2007, 2014 and 2015 – and the third in the space of only three years. Immediately after the match, Messi surprisingly announced his retirement from international football.
Argentina were stunned. Public campaigns in Buenos Aires called for his return, and even president Mauricio Macri appealed to the superstar. Just a few weeks later, Messi reversed his decision.
Even then, however, it took time before the story truly changed direction. Argentina stumbled through qualification for the 2018 World Cup before Messi effectively rescued their place at the tournament by scoring a hat-trick in the decisive match in Ecuador. In Russia itself, Argentina went out in the round of 16 after a dramatic 4-3 defeat to eventual champions France.
Scaloni and the beginning of a new era
The turning point arrived with Lionel Scaloni. Initially appointed only on an interim basis, the coach gradually built a new team around Messi. Younger players came in, the hierarchy changed and, for the first time, the national side no longer looked like a collection of stars waiting for Messi to solve everything on his own.
At the 2019 Copa América, Argentina had to settle for third place. Two years later came the night that changed Messi’s entire international story.
On 10 July 2021, Argentina faced Brazil at the Maracanã. Ángel Di María scored the only goal. When the final whistle blew, Messi dropped to the ground before his team-mates piled on top of him.
At the age of 34, he had finally won his first major title with the senior national team. Messi had also been the defining attacking player of the tournament, finishing with four goals and five assists.
Qatar completes the story
Argentina first won the Finalissima against European champions Italy 3-0 in 2022. Then came Qatar.
The World Cup began with one of the biggest upsets in the tournament’s history, a 2-1 defeat to Saudi Arabia. In the second group game against Mexico, Argentina were under enormous pressure for long periods – until Messi fired a low shot into the corner from around 20 metres.
It may have been the most important goal of his entire international career – keeping Argentina alive in a tournament that would eventually become legendary and deliver the ultimate triumph for “La Pulga”.
From there, the tournament followed the story now known around the world. Messi scored against Australia, the Netherlands and Croatia and led Argentina into the final against France. There, he scored twice, converted again in the penalty shootout and, after Gonzalo Montiel’s decisive kick, finally lifted the World Cup trophy.
With seven goals and three assists, Messi was named player of the tournament. Sixteen years after his first World Cup appearance, the one major gap in his career had finally been filled.
A second Copa title and one last World Cup final
Messi still did not stop. In 2024, Argentina successfully defended their Copa América title in the United States. La Albiceleste beat Colombia 1-0 after extra time in the final. For Messi, it was already his fourth major trophy in the space of four years.
He even went on to play in a sixth World Cup at the age of 39.
At the 2026 tournament, Messi once again showed why he had been one of the game’s most extraordinary players for more than two decades. With eight goals, he led Argentina all the way to the final and won the Silver Boot. The perfect ending, however, escaped him.
Remarkably, his final World Cup ended in the same stadium in New Jersey where he had announced his first retirement ten years earlier following the lost Copa América final against Chile. Spain won the 2026 World Cup final 1-0 thanks to a Ferran Torres goal in the 106th minute.
A few weeks later, Messi announced his definitive retirement from international football.
From criticism to unconditional admiration
Now the story receives one final night. Against Benin, Messi will make his 208th appearance for Argentina at the Monumental. He enters the match with 125 international goals – naturally a national record – and more than two decades of service to La Albiceleste.
Above all, however, his relationship with Argentina has changed completely. For years, Messi was accused of playing better for Barcelona than for his country, of showing too little emotion or of never developing the same connection with the Argentine public as the great Diego Maradona once had.
Today, almost none of that remains.
In retrospect, the many defeats became a crucial part of his story. Messi did not win his first major senior international title until the age of 34, became world champion at 35 and still led Argentina into another World Cup final at 39.
The boy whose first international ended after only a few seconds with a red card therefore leaves not only as his country’s record appearance-maker and record goalscorer. He leaves as the player who had to wait a long time for his greatest moments – and perhaps shaped them all the more profoundly because of it.
