Ranking the 5 most forgettable moments of Lionel Messi’s career
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.