20 years ago, Lionel Messi scored his first goal! (Video)

On May 1, 2005, Lionel Messi netted his very first professional goal for FC Barcelona. A historic date for the Argentine genius—and for the history of football itself.

In the 2004-2005 season, a young teenager named Lionel Messi Cuccitini, just 17 years old, began making his presence felt in Barça's first team.

Frank Rijkaard gave him his debut during a derby against Espanyol in October 2004. But it was a few months later, on May 1, 2005, that the real spark was ignited.

The beginning of a legend!

That night at Camp Nou, against Albacete, Messi came off the bench and scored the team's second goal (2-0) after a magical pass from Ronaldinho.

Wearing the number 30, with long hair, a slender frame, and Nike boots on his feet, the young Catalan forward made a name for himself. This was the dawn of a legend.

This first goal marked the start of a unique love story between Messi and Barça, a journey that would see him score a staggering 668 goals in the blaugrana shirt.

Twenty years later, relive this iconic moment—the foundation of an extraordinary career—in the video below:

Amine Jomni |

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African football writer and sports journalist covering football news, stories and insights while sharing his expertise with fans across the continent.