Lionel Messi’s chronicles as a soccer player are well-documented with the current generation being blessed with the genius of the Argentinian. Few individuals in history can make a case against Messi’s achievements and accolades, making the 37-year-old arguably the greatest player of all time. The little magician, though, has also had to endure some challenging times on the pitch as well.
It is rare to witness Lionel Messi having a bad outing. Even apart from goals, the former Barcelona captain has more than enough ability to impact games with his unparalleled range of skills. Nonetheless, some of his underwhelming displays go on to prove that he is indeed a human. One such performance came during Lionel Messi’s debut for his national team.
Lionel Messi’s forgettable debut for Argentina
Messi’s wonderful displays for the youth sides of Argentina earned him a call-up to the senior team in 2005. Argentina was up against Hungary in an international friendly in Budapest with a young Messi among the substitutes. His moment came in the 64ᵗʰ minute as manager, Jose Pekerman called him to enter the pitch as a replacement for Lisandro Lopez.
The following events, however, quickly turned out to become a nightmare as the referee showed Messi a red card for an alleged offense on Hungary’s Vilmos Vanczak. The sending-off occurred barely 30 seconds after Lionel Messi’s introduction. The red card has been one of just the three times the great man has been sent off in a game.
Fans recall a few of Lionel Messi’s underwhelming performances
The whole soccer community has been in awe of Lionel Messi for decades. Being a fan is not a requisite to appreciate the brilliance of the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner but discussions are always on about some of his disappointing displays. “Maybe his debut for Argentina. He received a red card in like 1 min after coming on.” “PSG away 4-0.” “2018 FIFA World Cup against Croatia, he managed just 20 touches in the first half.” were some of the examples put forward during fan debates.
The latter years of Lionel Messi in Europe with both Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain were a dismaying period for a player of his stature. The six-time Golden Boot winner failed to reach the Champions League final since 2015, despite being a part of some star-studded squads. Unfortunately, from 2016 onwards, Messi and Barcelona witnessed humiliating eliminations from the knockout stages of the Champions League, denting the European career of the little genius.