From red card in Budapest to eternal glory with Argentina
Lionel Messi made his debut with the Argentine national team in 2005 with a red card, but has surpassed that bad presentation to become the team's all-time leading scorer. With 21 years of career, Messi has won the 2005 World Cup U-20, the 2008 Olympic gold in Beijing and the 2021 Copa América. However, he has also lost finals of the 2007 Copa América, the 2014 World Cup and the 2015 and 2016 Copa Américas.
The path to eternal glory
Messi has gone through years of setbacks with the senior team, but has come back strong in 2021 with the conquest of the Copa América in Brazil. A year later, he arrived at the Finalissima and, finally, the dream he had pursued throughout his career: lifting the World Cup in Qatar in 2022. Messi's numbers with Argentina are impressive: 21 years of career, 172 games and 77 goals.
The last chapter… for now
On July 19, Messi played against Spain in what is now his last appearance with the national team. The Albiceleste lost 1-0 in extra time and came close to repeating the world title. And now there is a question that nobody can answer: Was it the last time Messi wore the Argentina jersey?
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