Lionel Messi celebrates the 16th anniversary of his official debut
The Argentine forward debuted on Oct 16, 2004 against Espanyol
Today is 16 years to the day since Lionel Messi played for the first time for Barcelona in an official game, making his debut. He went on to become the best player in world football history.
On October 16, 2004, he came off the bench against Espanyol, replacing Deco in the 82nd minute. His first shirt number was No 30.
Deco scored the only goal in Barcelona's 1-0 win, with Messi only having some brief moments to try and make his mark. No matter, he didn't take long to become an established star.
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Messi promised much but nobody would have expected this much. From that day he has played 734 games and scored 635 goals, smashing records and winning 34 trophies with Barcelona.
The Argentine forward is in his 17th season with the Catalans after a summer in which he tried to escape. With a contract in vigour until June 30, this may be his last campaign with the Catalan giants.
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