Messi bids farewell to Argentina: who accompanied him in his first appearance 21 years ago and where are they now?

Lionel Messi is set to play his last match for Argentina, concluding an extraordinary international career that began in an unexpected way when he first appeared in the "Tango" shirt on August 17, 2005, during a friendly against Hungary.

Messi entered the match in the 64th minute, replacing Lisandro López, but he needed only 43 seconds on the pitch before receiving a red card following an altercation with a player from the Hungary national team. Among his teammates who tried to console him at that moment was Lionel Scaloni, who would later become his coach and lead him to victory in the FIFA World Cup 2022.

Scaloni was not the only one from that generation who remained present in Messi's journey; Roberto Ayala was part of the squad on that day, and he is now Scaloni's assistant in the Argentina coaching staff. Goalkeeper Leo Franco was also a starter in that match and is currently an assistant coach to Fernando Torres in Atlético's youth teams.

Notable names that participated in that match include Juan Pablo Sorín, the then-captain of the national team, Gabriel Heinze, who currently works as an assistant to Mikel Arteta at Arsenal, along with Hernán Crespo, who is currently managing Atlas in Mexico. Lucho González is working as an assistant to Francesco Farioli at Porto, while Lucas Bernardi leads the reserve team of Newell's Old Boys, the club where Messi began his career.

The squad also includes names like Andrés D'Alessandro, who has moved into administration and was the sporting director of Sport Club Internacional, and Maxi Rodríguez, who serves as an ambassador for the Rosario Football Association. Additionally, Pablo Zabaleta, who previously worked as an assistant to Silvinho with the Albania national team, is currently part of the technical study group of FIFA.

Mario Alberto Santana, who came on as a substitute in the match, has turned to coaching, leading Palermo Calcio Popolare last season in the Italian regional first division. Meanwhile, Lisandro López has distanced himself from the limelight after retiring from football, while coach José Pekerman, who led Argentina back then, continues to have a long career on the sidelines, with his last experience being with the Venezuela national team before his mission ended in 2023.

After more than two decades since that strange beginning which saw Lionel Messi sent off after just 43 seconds, several faces from his early days return for the final chapter of his journey with Argentina, including Scaloni and Ayala, in one of the most complete circles in the history of football.