La Quotidienne de Bruxelles - Six defining moments of Lionel Messi's Argentina career

AFP Sport looks back at the moments that defined Messi's career with his country.

- Inauspicious start -

Messi's international career began as a fresh-faced 18-year-old in 2005. His first cap was unforgettable for the wrong reasons -- ninety seconds after coming on as a substitute in a friendly with Hungary in Budapest, he was sent off for what the referee saw as an elbow.

The following June he made his first World Cup appearance in the 6-0 win over Serbia and Montenegro with which Argentina began the 2006 tournament in Germany.

Messi got his team's final goal in Gelsenkirchen -- the first game and goal of what would become a legendary relationship with the World Cup.

- First World Cup final -

Messi was 26 when Argentina headed to Brazil in 2014, but was already established as one of the greats thanks to his achievements with Barcelona.

There had been numerous disappointments with Argentina: quarter-final defeats to Germany at the World Cup in 206 and in 2010 in South Africa, the latter with Diego Maradona as coach. There was also a Copa America final loss to Brazil in 2007, and a miserable showing at the 2011 version of that competition on home soil.

Messi went to Brazil as captain of Alejandro Sabella's team, and made a flying start by scoring in every group game. The goals then dried up, but he took Argentina to their first World Cup final since the days of Maradona, only for the Albiceleste to fall short against Germany at the Maracana.

- 2016: His lowest ebb -

The 2014 heartache was followed by the misery of losing the following year's Copa America final on penalties to Chile. Messi therefore went to the 2016 Copa America Centenario in the United States on a mission to finally win a major international title. Argentina cruised to the final.

Chile stood before Argentina once again at the MetLife Stadium just outside New York, but the outcome was identical -- another defeat on penalties, with Messi this time missing his kick.

Messi, who had already won over 100 caps, was heartbroken.

"For me the national team is over," he declared. "I've done all I can, I've been in four finals and it hurts not to be a champion."

Six weeks later Messi changed his mind and agreed to come out of his brief international retirement.

- A winner at last -

The second half of Messi's international career could not have contrasted more starkly, with Lionel Scaloni's appointment as coach in 2018 proving a game-changer.

In 2021, in the middle of the Covid pandemic, Messi and Argentina went to Brazil for the Copa America and beat the hosts 1-0 in the final thanks to an Angel Di Maria goal to claim their first major title in 28 years.

- The crowning glory in Qatar -

Messi could, and perhaps should, have bowed out after the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, when the Barcelona legend -- by now 35 and playing for PSG -- found another level to drag Argentina to victory.

He scored seven goals and set up three more in seven games, including a brace in the epic final against France -- when he also converted his penalty in the shoot-out which gave Argentina the trophy for the third time in their history.

"Obviously I wanted to finish my career with this. I can't ask for any more," Messi said after that triumph.

But he wanted to play on a little longer as a world champion, and in the end he kept going all the way to this year's tournament.

- Another final defeat -

Messi skippered his country to another title at the 2024 Copa America before going into a record-equalling sixth World Cup this year in the USA. He was about to turn 39, but doubts about his age were blown away as Messi scored eight goals in his team's first five games and helped inspire them to another final.

Messi has played more World Cup matches than anyone else (34) and scored 21 goals overall. He became only the second player to appear in three different World Cup finals, but he and Argentina were abject as they lost in extra time to Spain -- an anti-climactic ending to an international career spanning 207 matches and 125 goals.

W.Smets--LCdB