Lionel Messi‘s professional career has lasted more than two decades, and it still is not over. The Argentina captain has one more huge challenge ahead as the World Cup final against Spain. His remarkable longevity means some of his opponents were not even born when he made his debut.
Even if he had already appeared in friendlies with the first team, Messi made his official debut with Barcelona on October 16, 2004, at just 17 years old. He came on as a substitute for Deco in the 82nd minute of a 1-0 victory.
The match was played at the Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys, which Barcelona recently used during the Camp Nou renovation and which was Espanyol’s home at the time. He was not an immediate starter, but Messi quickly established himself as one of the brightest young talents in world soccer.
Age of each player
| Player | Date of birth | Age when Messi made his professional debut |
|---|---|---|
| Unai Simón | June 11, 1997 | 7 |
| David Raya | September 15, 1995 | 9 |
| Joan García | May 4, 2001 | 3 |
| Aymeric Laporte | May 27, 1994 | 10 |
| Alejandro Grimaldo | September 20, 1995 | 9 |
| Marcos Llorente | January 30, 1995 | 9 |
| Marc Cucurella | July 22, 1998 | 6 |
| Pedro Porro | September 13, 1999 | 5 |
| Eric García | January 9, 2001 | 3 |
| Marc Pubill | June 20, 2003 | 1 |
| Pau Cubarsí | January 22, 2007 | Not born |
| Rodri | June 22, 1996 | 8 |
| Fabián Ruiz | April 3, 1996 | 8 |
| Mikel Merino | June 22, 1996 | 8 |
| Martín Zubimendi | February 2, 1999 | 5 |
| Álex Baena | July 20, 2001 | 3 |
| Pedri | November 25, 2002 | 1 |
| Gavi | August 5, 2004 | 2 months |
| Borja Iglesias | January 17, 1993 | 11 |
| Mikel Oyarzabal | April 21, 1997 | 7 |
| Dani Olmo | May 7, 1998 | 6 |
| Ferran Torres | February 29, 2000 | 4 |
| Nico Williams | July 12, 2002 | 2 |
| Yéremy Pino | October 20, 2002 | 1 |
| Víctor Muñoz | July 13, 2003 | 1 |
| Lamine Yamal | July 13, 2007 | Not born |
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