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Before Lionel Messi was soccer's greatest-ever talent, he was a fresh-faced teenager attempting to find his way for two of the grandest institutions in the sports world: Barcelona and Argentina.
The World Cup's all-time leading goal-scorer first appeared in the global spectacle in 2006, turning up as a 17-year-old with dreams of dancing down the pitch in a manner similar to that of another famous Argentine foxtrotter: Diego Maradona.
With that, here's a look back at the first of Messi's six World Cups, a debut that continues to twinkle in spectators' eyes two decades later.
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Lionel Messi first World Cup
Messi made his World Cup debut in 2006, turning out for La Albiceleste a little more than two years after making his senior debut for Barcelona. The diminutive playmaker was one of two teenagers on a roster filled with stars, including Hernan Crespo and Juan Roman Riquelme. Messi spearheaded a youth movement within manager Jose Pekerman's ranks, embracing the spotlight alongside Carlos Tevez, Javier Mascherano and Javier Saviola, among others.
With fewer than 40 first-team appearances for Barcelona under his belt, it was natural for some to believe that Messi would be on the fringes of Pekerman's side. However, his exploits for La Blaugrana were hard to ignore; Messi tallied six goals in 17 appearances at Barcelona romped to a double, winning La Liga and the Champions League.
Dubbed the successor to Diego Maradona's legacy, Messi made his World Cup debut against Serbia and Montenegro in Argentina's second group stage game. He capped off his cameo with aplomb, racing after a tumbling ball before depositing it into the far corner with his right foot.
“We knew the kid had something special about him. Some of the things he was capable of doing were just unbelievable,” said Maxi Rodriguez, one of Messi's teammates on that 2006 roster (per FIFA). “The way he looked after the ball, even at full speed – everything he did blew us away.
“He was a pure dribbler. He’d get on the ball and you’d have thought he was dribbling through cones. He ghosted past his opponents. It was amazing, he made it all look so natural and straightforward.”
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All told, Messi made three appearances for La Albiceleste, playing 122 minutes as the Argentines fell to Germany in the quarterfinals. While he played sparingly during his maiden international competition, his brief displays foreshadowed his future successes.
"For me, every minute was important, because I had no doubt that over the next 10 years he would be fighting to be one of the best players in the world," Pekerman told The Tribune India. "It was important for him to get used to a more professional, more demanding level of soccer, to let his talent grow along with his experience."
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