10 years ago on this day, Lionel Messi made his FC Barcelona debut against Juventus in the pre-season Joan Gamper trophy against Juventus, turning in a masterful display at the tender age of 18.
Messi came on as a substitute wearing number 30, as his now-famous number 10 shirt was Ronaldinho’s at the time.
Messi ran rings around the then Serie A champions Juventus who were also a powerhouse in Europe at the time. With players such as Del Piero, Ronaldinho, Deco, and Ibrahimovic on display, Messi stole the show. He went past legendary defenders like Fabio Cannavaro at will.
In the clip below, we can see Messi completing a string of trademark mazy runs before cutting the Old Lady’s defence in two with a killer through-ball for a young Andres Iniesta to slot home for the goal.
Juve eventually won 4-2 on penalties. Here’s footage of the full match, a great trip down memory lane for FC Barcelona fans.
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Messi’s individual highlights from the game:
Full Game:
