Overview

• On October 16, 2004, the 17-year-old entered in the 82nd minute against Espanyol at Montjuïc, replacing Deco and playing roughly eight minutes.
• His first-team chance came after injuries in Barcelona’s squad prompted coach Frank Rijkaard to promote him from the youth setup.
• He went on to make 778 official appearances for Barcelona and score 672 goals, becoming the club’s all-time leading scorer.
• His Barcelona honors include four Champions League titles, ten La Liga crowns and nine Copas del Rey, plus multiple Super Cups and three Club World Cups.
• Marking the anniversary, Messi wrote “21 años ya, increíble” on social media; Barcelona posted its own tribute as he continues his career with Inter Miami after a stint at Paris Saint-Germain.