World Cup

Watch: The day Lionel Messi made his World Cup debut

Lionel Messi announces himself on the World Cup stage in unforgettable fashion, scoring just 13 minutes into his debut with his right foot as Diego Maradona celebrates, marking the arrival of a generational talent on football’s biggest stage.

The day Lionel Messi made his World Cup debut.

He needed just 13 minutes on the field to score his 1st goal.

Maradona went wild! pic.twitter.com/hV7D5Mtcsv

— Royce 🇦🇷 (@Royce842167) June 20, 2026

Photo: REUTERS/Ina Fassbender

Top story

Fan Poll

1 / 1

How far will Bafana go at the World Cup?

Newsletter

Soccer Mag

Get the latest soccer news delivered to your inbox every morning.

Watch: The day Lionel Messi made his World Cup debut

Related Articles

UEFA holds firm on World Cup boycott despite Infantino apology

Messi dominates a surprising all-time list

Australia questions FIFA over World Cup business sale

Fan Poll