A day in history. 20 years ago Messi made his debut for Barcelona

Today, October 16, is a special day for all fans of FC Barcelona and the Argentina national team, and here's why.

Details: On this day in 2004, exactly 20 years ago, the legendary Lionel Messi made his debut for Barcelona. In a derby against Espanyol, Messi came on as a substitute for Portuguese midfielder Deco, who is now the club's sporting director. Messi played just 8 minutes in that match.

Since then, Messi has gone on to play 778 matches for Barcelona, scoring 672 goals and providing 303 assists, making him the club’s all-time top scorer.

In the summer of 2021, Messi and Barcelona were unable to reach an agreement on a new contract, and the Argentine icon moved to PSG as a free agent. Since the summer of 2023, he has been playing in the United States for Inter Miami.

Reminder: Last night, Messi scored his 10th hat-trick for Argentina in their 6-0 victory over Bolivia, bringing his total tally for the national team to 112 goals.