Now nearing the end of his professional career, Lionel Messi remains a global soccer superstar. Still, that hasn’t made him forget the beginning of his journey — his first appearance as a professional with Barcelona in La Liga.
This Thursday marked the anniversary of the Argentine forward’s debut with Los Blaugranas on October 16, 2004. To commemorate that historic match — one that changed not only his life but the game itself — Messi shared a post on his official Instagram account.
“21 years already… amazing,” was the brief message Leo chose to accompany two photos from that day. In the first one, he’s seen wearing the number 30 jersey he used during his rookie season, before switching to 19, and eventually to the iconic number 10. In the second image, he’s standing next to the fourth official, waiting to come on, as the substitution board is held up.
Indeed, the journey from that moment to today seems to have flown by. That October 16, 2004, Messi stepped onto the field for his first official La Liga appearance — in none other than a derby against Espanyol, replacing Deco in what ended as a 1–0 victory.
Messi’s post on Instagram.
His Instagram post immediately sparked global fan reaction. In just over an hour, more than 2 million followers had liked the post, and nearly 60,000 left supportive comments for the Argentine star.
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Messi changed Barcelona’s history forever
Until 2004, Barcelona were firmly among Spain’s elite, but far behind Real Madrid in terms of global prestige, and with only a modest European track record. In fact, they had won the UEFA Champions League just once — in 1992 under head coach Johan Cruyff.
But everything changed after Messi’s debut. Just two years later, the team conquered Europe again, led by Ronaldinho and boosted by Leo’s emergence. Following the Brazilian attacking midfielder’s departure in 2008 and the arrival of Pep Guardiola as coach, the Argentine forward became the undisputed star of the team.
Across 17 seasons with Barcelona, Messi broke nearly every possible record: most appearances (778), most goals (672), most assists (269), and most trophies (34). He won the Champions League four times and was part of some of the most iconic teams in soccer history.
Why did Messi leave Barcelona?
After more than a decade of success, Barcelona entered a period of decline fueled by poor executive decisions. The departure of key players — including Neymar, who left for Paris Saint-Germain in 2017 — wasn’t followed by effective reinforcements, leading the club to spend heavily on players who failed to deliver on the field.
Those and other missteps led to financial instability, which gradually impacted the quality of the squad and its results. In that context, Barcelona’s financial troubles forced club president Joan Laporta to make an unthinkable decision: walk away from Lionel Messi’s contract renewal.
As a result, the Argentine forward became a free agent on June 30, 2021. After an emotional farewell press conference, where he bid goodbye in tears, he signed with Paris Saint-Germain on a two-year deal. Since then, Messi has never stepped foot on the Camp Nou pitch again — and likely never will as a professional player.
