When Argentina traveled to Hungary for a friendly at the Ferenc Puskas Stadium on August 17, 2005, Lionel Messi’s growing reputation preceded him.
The young Barcelona talent made seven appearances for the La Liga side’s senior team last season while his club career was just getting started. Messi’s performances with the youth team and his six goals in Argentina’s 2005 FIFA U-20 World Cup win a month earlier helped him earn his first senior call-up.
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Choice It was a year away from the 2006 World Cup and failed to make it out of the group stage of the 2002 tournament. After winning the continental title in 1991 and 1993, they finished second in the 2004 Copa America.
The 18-year-old Messi started the match staring down an Argentina squad that featured the likes of Hernán Crespo, Gabriel Heinze, Lisandro López and Roberto Ayala on the bench. Chelsea head coach Jose Mourinho was also present at the event.
Maxi Rodríguez and Sándor Torghelle exchanged goals to send the match to a draw. In the 63rd minute, Heinze gave Argentina a one-time lead.
Shortly after Argentina regained the lead, manager Jose Pekerman made the change everyone was expecting as Messi came on for López in the 64th minute.
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After a few touches of the ball at the beginning of his appearance, Messi made the first threatening move of his Argentine career. After scanning his surroundings twice, Messi received a pass in the middle of the Hungarian half and began to drive the ball towards the penalty area. As full-back Vilmos Vanczák grabbed Messi’s baggy blue-and-white jersey, his rapid pace suddenly slowed. While Vanczák was wearing the number 18 jersey, Messi swung his arm back and hit Vanczák in the face.
German referee Markus Merck, who saw the incident perfectly, immediately blew the whistle as Wanczak fell to the ground. Merk then sent off Argentina players who disputed the decision, including Argentina manager Lionel Scaloni, who started the defense, then showed Vanczák a yellow card before red carding Messi.
Messi’s highly anticipated debut lasted all of 47 seconds. He left the field in disbelief as the 25,000 fans in attendance whistled their displeasure.
Messi later said: “He passed me and caught me and I wanted to break free, but the referee interpreted it as if I had tried to push him.” “There was a lot of time left in the game, but then it happened.
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“It wasn’t like I imagined it would be.”
Wanczak told The Athletic in 2022: “I don’t think he wanted to elbow me, but he wanted to run and he elbowed me in the throat – but I didn’t expect him to get a red card.” “It was just a friendly game!”
The red card, one of three in his entire club and international career, forced Messi to miss England’s friendly against Argentina that November. The two sides will not meet again until the semi-finals of the 2026 World Cup, with Messi setting up both goals in a 2-1 victory.
Now 21 years later, Messi calls time on his legendary Argentina career with one final match. The opponent will be Benin; Estadio Más Monumental will be the stage; and his forgettable debut will be long forgotten – instead replaced by the decades of moments he gave the sport.