It's hard to believe, but Lionel Messi's Argentina journey started with a red card just 25 minutes into his debut match against Hungary back in 2005.
KANSAS CITY: Defending champions Argentina are all set to kick off their World Cup campaign tomorrow against Algeria. The match will be held at the Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, starting at 6:30 AM Indian time. But this isn't just any match. It's a massive milestone for the legend, Lionel Messi, who will be playing his 200th international game.
Right now, Messi is the third most-capped player for any country. Only Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo (228) and Kuwait's Bader Al-Mutawa (202) are ahead of him. Everyone's expecting him to overtake Al-Mutawa during this World Cup and grab the second spot.
It's been a long journey since his debut in 2005 against Hungary, where he was famously sent off with a red card just 25 minutes in. In his 199 matches so far, Messi has scored a whopping 117 goals and provided 64 assists. He has spent a total of 16,380 minutes on the field in an Argentina jersey. His trophy cabinet is packed with the 2022 World Cup, the 2021 and 2024 Copa América titles, and the 2022 Finalissima. This will be his sixth World Cup, and he has already played 26 matches across the previous five tournaments.
The Whole World Is Waiting to Watch Him Play
Coach Scaloni, who is usually very serious in press conferences, got everyone excited with what he said about Messi. "It's not just people in Argentina. The whole world, every single football fan on this planet, is waiting to see him on the field," Scaloni said. He added, "The kind of impact Messi has, not just on Argentina fans but on sports lovers everywhere, is huge. There's nothing negative to say about him. He's always with the team, and he's our most important player."
No More Injury Worries; Messi is Fully Fit
There were some minor concerns about a hamstring injury just before the World Cup, but sources from the training camp say Messi is now 100% fit. He even played for about 20 minutes in the last friendly against Iceland, coming on as a substitute in the second half and scoring a penalty. The streets of Kansas City are already buzzing with Messi fans ahead of the first match. Thousands of people are gathered near the stadium, wearing his iconic number 10 jerseys from Barcelona, Inter Miami, and of course, Argentina.
Argentina is also chasing a rare piece of history. Only two countries have ever won back-to-back World Cups – Italy in the 1930s and Pelé's Brazil in 1962. Four years ago in Qatar, Argentina beat France to become world champions. If they manage to defend their title, they'll join that very exclusive club.
