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Lionel Messi is arguably the greatest player the football world has witnessed. The Argentine broke onto the scene as a promising young talent at Barcelona in the mid 2000s. He's spent the last couple of years redefining greatness in the sport and rewriting history both at club and international level.
Having spent the last 15 years at the pinnacle of the game, Lionel Messi has recorded several iconic moments that will be remembered forever. Putting up memorable displays, leading his team to major triumphs and claiming prestigious accolades, no one does it better than the diminutive forward.
The Argentine's achievements within the last two decades have influenced many to qualify his career with perfection. Of course no one can take anything away from the greatness Messi has demonstrated over the years. But it is worth noting that the playmaker has also had some not-so-good moments that he'd like to get rid of.
Whether in his club or international career, you'll surely find a number of such moments Lionel Messi wouldn't want to relive. Below, we highlight five of the most notable ones.
#5 Red Card on Argentina debut
Getting booked by the referee in a debut game for one's country is something every footballer would do anything to avoid. Yet Lionel Messi suffered a worse fate when he made his first ever appearance for Argentina in a friendly match versus Hungary on August 17, 2005.
The playmaker came on as a substitute for Lisandro Lopez in the 63rd minute of the encounter. However, his debut ended before he could make any impact, picking up an unfortunate red card less than two minutes after coming on.
Leo tried to hold off his marker while dribbling but mistakenly elbowed him in the face. The referee thought it was a purposeful act and responded by showing him a straight red card - cutting short what could've been a historic debut.
#4 Spitting at Malaga midfielder Duda
Known as one of the most disciplined footballers in history, Lionel Messi surprised everyone when he pulled off an unpleasant act in 2008. It was during a tense La Liga clash between Barcelona and Malaga. The opposition team employed rough tactics to frustrate the attacker throughout the game, forcing him to show his human side.
Malaga midfielder Duda collided with Leo towards the end of the match. After the pair picked themselves up, Messi spat in the direction of the Portuguese who had his back turned against him. Although the referee couldn't spot the incident, cameras recorded it and it became a hot topic for several days.
#3 Argentina retirement
We may never see Lionel Messi get as emotional as he did after losing the Copa America final in 2016. Having lost three finals with Argentina prior to that period, the attacker's appearance in that game represented a huge chance for him to overcome his nightmare.
However, the Albiceleste fell short once again to Chile. Both sides failed to find the back of the net after 120 minutes and the match headed into a shootout. Lionel Messi stepped up to take the first spot-kick for Argentina but failed to find the target.
The shootout ended with a 4-2 scoreline, with Chile coming out on top. The pain of losing his fourth major final at international level proved to be too much for Leo to bear. The attacker announced his retirement from the national team after the tournament, although he later returned and finally had the last laugh this summer.
#2 World Cup failure in 2014
The 2014 FIFA World Cup ended up producing the worst nightmare of Lionel Messi's career. The playmaker was incredible throughout the tournament, with his four goals and one assist helping Argentina progress into the final, where they faced Germany.
With nothing to separate both teams after 90 minutes, the game headed into extra-time. Many were expecting a shootout to decide the winner, but German attacker Mario Gotze had a different idea.
The former Bayern Munich superstar stepped up and scored the only goal of the encounter in the 113th minute. Had Leo triumphed in that match, the debate over who is the greatest player in history would've been long concluded. It was really an emotional night for the attacker and he couldn't help but give in to tears.
#1 Barcelona departure
Lionel Messi's association with Barcelona was viewed as a perfect marriage for many years. That's why his departure from the club this summer is one of the moments that even opposition fans wished never happened.
It all began in the summer of 2020 when the Argentine sent in a burofax stating that he wanted to leave. Although he stayed put, that episode strained his long-standing relationship with Barcelona.
The inevitable finally happened this summer. Despite being willing to continue at Camp Nou, the Blaugrana couldn't afford to tie him to a new contract due to their poor financial state. Hence, Lionel Messi was forced to end his 21-year association with the club, joining Paris Saint-Germain after his departure.
