Buenos Aires (EFE).- The match between Argentina and Algeria for Group J of the 2026 World Cup will be the setting for the twentieth anniversary of Lionel Messi’s first goal in a World Cup, when just 13 minutes after coming off the bench, the star scored the 6-0 for the Albiceleste against Serbia and Montenegro.
A few days before turning 19, Messi made his World Cup debut on June 16, 2006, in Gelsenkirchen, Germany, under coach José Pekerman, who sent him onto the pitch to replace midfielder Maximiliano Rodríguez, who had scored two goals against the Balkan team in a match that showcased the hierarchy of the Argentine squad.
How was Messi’s first goal in a World Cup
Messi wore the number 19 jersey in that World Cup -the number 10 was owned at the time by Juan Román Riquelme- and stepped onto the pitch in the 75th minute with the support from the stands of Diego Maradona, who showed his joy at seeing the then-young Barcelona attacker play his first minutes in that Cup, as he was not a starter nor did he enter in the first match when Argentina beat Ivory Coast 2-1.
By the time Messi entered, the match was already irremediably tilted in favor of Argentina, who were winning 3-0 thanks to a brace from Rodríguez and an extraordinary goal by Esteban Cambiasso following an extensive collective play.
Messi did not miss the opportunity to demonstrate his talent on the field by making a run down the left flank and sending a low cross that Hernán Crespo only had to push into the net for the 4-0 in the 78th minute.
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The demoralized Serbia and Montenegro defense could not stop Carlos Tévez in the 84th minute for a fifth goal that seemed to set the final score, but Argentina kept attacking until the very last second.
Tévez’s assist and Messi’s historic finish
Messi’s debut goal in World Cups came then in the 88th minute of that June 16th, after a combination full of talent: Riquelme filtered a pass to Tévez in the final third, who played a quick one-two with striker Crespo, and the ‘Apache’ received it back to set up Messi, who arrived at full speed on the right side of the box.
Messi adjusted the ball with his left foot, but the closing down by defender Milan Dudic forced him to use his less skillful right foot for a finish that went in at the near post and between the legs of goalkeeper Dragoslav Jevric.
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That was his second goal in seven matches with the senior Argentina national team, after scoring against Croatia in a friendly prior to the 2006 World Cup.
“You always dream of playing the whole match, doing things well and scoring a goal, even more so in a World Cup. Seeing the joy of all these people makes me very happy. And when you dream, you dream big,” he said during an interview after the match against Serbia and Montenegro.
Argentina, a serious contender in that tournament, was eliminated in the penalty shootout against Germany, but from then on began what could be considered the ‘Messi era’, since since then the game and the destiny of their national team revolve around him.
Twenty years and 115 goals later, the captain, world champion, and Albiceleste record-holder will almost certainly start against Algeria this Tuesday at the Kansas City stadium, looking to write one more page in the great history of football.
