Lionel Messi has named his debut for Barcelona's first team as the most important moment of his time with the Catalonian giants. The Argentine legend left the club as the greatest player in the outfit's history after a glorious 17-year stint.
Messi began his career at La Blaugrana's famed La Masia academy and quickly made his way into the first team, where he made 778 appearances. He scored 672 goals and provided 303 assists to become the player with the most goals and assists in the club's history.
Talking about his most cherished memory from his stint at Barcelona, Messi said (via Reshad Rahman on X):
“If I had to pick one special moment it would be the day I made my debut. Because of the sacrifices I made, moving to another country, changing my life completely to achieve that dream. The day I made my debut for the first team was without a doubt the most important moment for me”
Messi made his competitive debut for Barca on October 16, 2004, in a league match against Espanyol.
Lionel Messi left La Blaugrana in 2021 after leading the club to 10 LaLiga titles, seven Copa del Reys, and four UEFA Champions League titles. He joined Paris Saint-Germain as a free agent after Barca were unable to renew his contract due to their financial difficulties. He now plays for Inter Miami in the MLS.
Messi is widely believed to be one of the best players in football history. He spent the bulk of his career with the Catalan side before a stint with Paris Saint-Germain.
Barcelona are celebrating their 125th anniversary and the Argentine great has sent a message to the club. In a recent interview with 3Cat (via Goal), the World Cup winner said:
“I was lucky that God led me to this place [Barcelona] and I spent my whole life in this wonderful club. Representing the Barcelona first team as we love and want is a great pride for me. I miss the club, the city, the people and all that love. As always, I hope we can continue to succeed and make this club bigger and better. I miss the club, the city, the people and all the love. As always, I hope we can continue to succeed and make this club even greater."
Lionel Messi plays for MLS side Inter Miami, where he is winding down his legendary career. The Argentine star has scored 34 goals and provided 18 assists in 39 games for the American side.