20 years since Leo Messi's first official goal
It was 1 May 2005. Exactly 20 years ago, a young Argentine with long hair scored his first official goal. His name was Leo Messi, and his debut strike came against Albacete. He achieved this milestone at just 17 years and 10 months old, becoming, at the time, the youngest player to score a goal in La Liga.
The youngster came on in the 88th minute, with Barça leading 1–0. And it took him only three minutes to show his potential. A very short time for most, but for Messi it was enough. In those three minutes, he scored twice — the first was disallowed for offside. Moments later, he scored again and this time it counted, making it 2–0 and sealing the win for Barça.
It was a goal that got everyone talking, but was just the start of what would go on to be a reign over the football world. The Argentine received a lofted pass from Ronaldinho and, seeing the opposing goalkeeper off his line, chipped the ball over him to find the net. The first ever goal by a player who would go on to become a legend, and the club’s all-time top scorer.
35 trophies
That goal marked the start of a golden era at Barça, where Messi played until the 2020/21 season. Over 15 seasons, he won everything there was to win, both individually and collectively. During that time, he claimed 8 Spanish Super Cups, 10 La Liga titles, 7 Copa del Rey titles, 3 UEFA Super Cups, 4 Champions Leagues and 3 Club World Cups — not to mention all the individual awards he earned. The greatest of all time!