From being sent off 2 mins into debut to retiring as an all-time great: A timeline of Lionel Messi’s career with Argentina

On August 17, 2005, Lionel Messi made his international debut for Argentina in a friendly match against Hungary. At just 18 years old, he was immediately sent off after two minutes. His first goal for Argentina came just over six months later in a friendly against Croatia on March 1, 2006. In June 2006, Messi made his World Cup debut in South Africa, becoming the youngest player to represent Argentina in the tournament.

He played his first match as captain of the Argentine national team on June 22, 2010, during a friendly against Greece. He became Argentina's all-time top scorer on June 21, 2016, scoring a decisive goal against the United States in the Copa America semifinals. Messi's retirement from international football was announced on July 13, 2014, after Argentina's loss to Germany in the World Cup final.

However, he reversed his decision less than a month later and went on to win the 2021 Copa America and the 2022 World Cup with the national team. Messi's final appearance for Argentina came in a 2026 World Cup match against Spain on July 19, 2026, which marked his last goal for the national team.