From Messi to Ferdinand, 14 disastrous debuts in football history

1. Lionel Messi made his Argentina debut in August 2005 as a substitute against Hungary. He was immediately sent off after a confrontation with Vilmos Vanczak, leaving him in tears in the dressing room. Despite this unfortunate start, Messi has since become Argentina's all-time great and captain of their World Cup-winning team.

2. Rio Ferdinand, considered the world's most expensive defender when he joined Leeds United in 2000, made an underwhelming debut against Leicester City. Leeds conceded three goals in the first 28 minutes, with Robbie Savage, Ade Akinbiyi, and Gerry Taggart scoring. Ferdinand's career took off at Manchester United, where he became one of the game's greatest defenders.

3. Jonathan Woodgate made his Real Madrid debut against Athletic Bilbao after a lengthy injury absence. He scored an own goal and was eventually sent off, marking an extraordinary start to a spell that never lived up to Real Madrid's expectations.

4. Abdukodir Khusanov's Premier League debut for Manchester City against Chelsea ended badly. He misjudged an aerial challenge with Nicolas Jackson, leading to Chelsea scoring, before being booked for bringing down Cole Palmer and substituted early in the second half.

5. Moisés Caicedo, Chelsea's £115 million signing, had a disastrous debut against West Ham. Introduced as a substitute, Caicedo struggled to make an impact and conceded the penalty that led to Chelsea's 3-1 defeat. However, he went on to become one of the Premier League's outstanding midfielders.

6. Patrice Evra, a Manchester United legend, faced a brutal introduction to English football during his debut against Manchester City. He struggled against Trevor Sinclair and was substituted at half-time. Evra went on to win five Premier League titles and the Champions League with United.

7. Thiago Silva's Chelsea debut against West Bromwich Albion was another challenging afternoon. Silva lost possession in his own half, resulting in a goal for Callum Robinson, who scored twice before half-time. Despite this, Silva became one of Chelsea's most respected defenders.

8. Joe Cole's Liverpool debut lasted just 45 minutes when he was sent off against Arsenal in a heated encounter. The England international was involved in a fiery exchange with Laurent Koscielny and was dismissed, failing to meet the high expectations placed on him by Liverpool fans.

9. Gervinho's first appearance for Arsenal ended controversially. The Ivorian winger was sent off during a goalless draw against Newcastle United after an altercation with Joey Barton, immediately finding himself at the center of a disciplinary storm.

10. Ali Dia's Premier League debut with Southampton in 1996 was bizarre to say the least. He was brought on after convincing the club he was a professional footballer, but his performance was so poor he was substituted after a short spell. His incident has since become one of football's most famous curiosities.

11. Saúl Ñíguez, a high-level midfielder at Chelsea on loan from Atlético Madrid in 2021, made a poor start in his Premier League debut against Aston Villa. He struggled against Villa's midfield, made misplaced passes, and was substituted at half-time. He made only four more league starts during his loan spell.

12. Gaetano Berardi's Leeds United debut against Accrington Stanley took an unusual turn. The defender launched into a karate-like challenge that looked more like a tackle, leading to a red card. Despite this bizarre incident, Berardi went on to become a beloved cult figure at Elland Road.

13. Wayne Bridge's debut for West Ham against Arsenal in 2011 turned into a nightmare. He was involved in both goals and conceded a penalty, as West Ham finished bottom of the Premier League, making the result even more painful.

14. Alex Jankewitz's Premier League debut for Southampton was arguably the shortest disaster on this list. The Southampton midfielder's brief appearance was marked by a string of errors, leading to a disastrous start to his career in the top flight.