On this date: Lionel Messi debuts for Argentina national team, gets a red
The Barcelona striker made his first appearance with the Argentina national team on Aug. 17, 2005 in a friendly, but he didn't last long, seeing a red card after less than a minute.
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Lionel Messi made his debut for the Argentina national team on this date 10 years ago, but it was a result to forget.
In a friendly against Hungary, Messi received a red card after just 43 seconds.
The 18-year-old came on as a second-half sub, replacing former Lyon striker Lisandro Lopez. While marching towards goal, Messi had his jersey pulled by a Hungary player, and the Rosario-born man swung his arm, elbowing the player in the neck. Here is the video.
Not the greatest start to an international career. Now Messi's focus is to win a trophy with Argentina, failing to have done so yet with the senior team, losing the World Cup final in 2014 and the Copa America final this year. Hard to believe that it has been a decade since his first appearance.
