10 iconic images from Lionel Messi's career

4) Messi’s competitive debut

Most people will look at this picture and claim that this was the moment that changed football. On 16 October 2004, Barcelona played a Catalan derby against Espanyol. He had barely turned 17 and there he was – becoming Barcelona’s youngest-ever player in an official game since 1912.

He played only eight minutes and that record was the only notable thing about that landmark appearance. Those familiar with ‘Player Ratings’ articles would know that an ‘N/A’ was justified for his contributions in a match that will be remembered for nothing else.

But not Messi. “I will remember those 10 minutes my whole life,” he said about his debut. He would soon have a lot more moments to remember over the next decade or so.