Lionel Messi shared an image from his official Barcelona debut while celebrating his 21 years of his career. The legendary Argentine remained at the Catalan club between 2004 and 2021, becoming their greatest legend in history. Lionel Messi made his official Barcelona debut for the first team on October 16, 2021, at the Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys. The game was a 1-0 win over Espanyol in LaLiga, where Messi came in as a substitute for Deco in the 82nd minute under coach Frank Rijkaard's guidance. The Argentine was 17 years, three months, and 22 days old at that time. In his Instagram story dated October 16, 2025, Lionel Messi shared an image from his Barcelona debut, which features him ready to get subbed on. He also shared the same post on his Instagram feed, alongside an image from his Barca days wearing the number 30 shirt. He wrote:"21 years already..... Amazing."The rest is history, as Lionel Messi went on to become Barca's greatest legend in history. In 672 outings for Barcelona across competitions in 17 years, he recorded 672 goals and 303 assists. He led the Catalan side to a club record 35 titles, including four UEFA Champions Leagues and 10 LaLiga titles. In August 2021, Messi was forced to leave the club for free and sign for Paris Saint-Germain (PSG), after the LaLiga giants failed to renew his contract due to financial issues. When Lionel Messi opened up about his wish to return to BarcelonaIn an interview on the YouTube channel Simplemente Futbol in April 2025, Lionel Messi mentioned that he wanted to return to Barcelona in 2023. The Argentine eventually left PSG to sign for MLS side Inter Miami, where he currently plies his trade. Messi said (via beIN Football):"After the World Cup, I couldn’t see myself at any European club other than Barça. My goal was to come back. To return home, where everything started. But unfortunately, it wasn’t possible."Messi also heaped praise on Barcelona superstar Lamine Yamal, who is often hailed as the Argentine's successor at the club. Yamal has seen a meteoric rise in football since his debut in 2023, and inherited Messi's iconic number 10 shirt at the club this season. "What Lamine Yamal is doing is incredible. He’s already won the Euro Cup with Spain. He’s only 17 years old, he’s in the middle of his development. He’ll keep growing as a player and adding things to his game, like I did. He has amazing qualities and is already one of the best players in the world," Messi said.Reports over the years have suggested that Barca are keen on inviting Lionel Messi for a farewell game to give him the tribute he deserves. However, the plan has yet to materialize. It remains to be seen if Messi sports the blaugrana shirt once again before hanging up his boots, which could give his iconic career a perfect ending.