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2d ago

Messi Marks 20th Anniversary of One-Minute Argentina Debut Red Card

Retrospectives mark two decades since Messi’s debut red card to highlight his rise from a one-minute expulsion to Argentina’s all-time leader as he continues starring for Inter Miami.

Messi, en el momento que es expulsado tras su debut en la Selección 
Lionel Messi se retira de la cancha y en el borde lo espera Jose Pekerman; en el fondo, los jugadores argentinos rodean a Markus Merk entre insultos y protestas; el 17 de agosto de 2005, el sueño del debut se convirtió en pesadilla para Messi
Messi tira el manotazo que fue juzgado como agresión y que le valió la roja en su debut en la Selección. Foto: Archivo
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Overview

  • On August 17, 2005, Messi was sent off by referee Markus Merk roughly a minute after entering his senior Argentina debut following a shirt grab by Hungary’s Vilmos Vanczák and a reactive hand swipe.
  • Argentina coach José Pekerman and players including Hernán Crespo and Juan Pablo Sorín publicly criticized the sending-off as unjust and consoled the distraught 18-year-old in the dressing room.
  • Over 20 years Messi amassed 113 goals and 193 caps to become Argentina’s record scorer and most-capped player while winning Copa América titles in 2021 and 2024 and the 2022 World Cup.
  • Anniversary coverage highlights minor discrepancies in reports of exactly how long Messi was on the pitch before expulsion, with figures ranging from 43 to 90 seconds.
  • Media features link that early setback to his current role at Inter Miami, underscoring his transformation into a defining figure of Argentina football.