How convincing Argentina of his greatness became Lionel Messi's toughest battle

Messi made his international debut in 2005 as a fresh-faced 18-year-old in a friendly against Hungary, and was famously sent off moments after coming on for catching an opponent with a stray arm. It was an extraordinary false start, but did nothing to halt Messi's ascent to the top, as he became the youngest player to represent and score for Argentina at the World Cup in Germany the following year. At the 2007 Copa America, Messi landed the Young Player of the Tournament for his role in Argentina's run to the final, where they ultimately went down 3-0 against arch-rivals Brazil.

The diminutive attacker's first taste of success with Argentina then came at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, but only after a long saga over his participation. The Games' schedule clashed with Barcelona's Champions League qualifiers, leading to tension between the club and the Argentine Football Association (AFA), which only dissipated after intervention from the new head coach at Camp Nou: one Pep Guardiola.

"Pep was phenomenal with me as nobody wanted me to go to the Olympics with the national team, but I wanted to go. He was the one who gave me the permission," Messi said. "I remember that we were in the pre-season in Italy and after a friendly match against Fiorentina, he grabbed me and said, ‘You want to go, don’t you?’ I said yes."

Messi's passion for his country shone through right from the first game as he scored a lovely goal in a 2-1 victory over the Ivory Coast, latching onto a long ball from Juan Roman Riquelme and bursting past his marker before slotting home. He went on to produce another moment of magic in Argentina's quarter-final tie against the Netherlands, finishing calmly from close range after intercepting a loose pass and leaving two defenders and the Dutch goalkeeper for dead.

La Albiceleste eventually edged that contest 2-1 after extra time and exacted sweet revenge on Brazil for their Copa loss the previous year with a 3-0 win in the last four to set up a final against surprise package Nigeria. Messi made a decisive impact once again, turning smartly in the middle of the pitch before setting Angel Di Maria through on goal, and the former Real Madrid man did the rest with a delightful chipped shot, which turned out to be enough to clinch the Gold Medals for Argentina.

Messi lit up the event and the Argentine public showed deep appreciation for his decision to go against the wishes of his pay-masters at Barca and take on a leading role at the Games. At that time, there was widespread confidence in South American nation that Messi would become the definitive heir to Maradona, but the dynamic shifted dramatically over the next eight years.

In November that year, Messi and Maradona became player and coach. The AFA turned to the 1986 World Cup icon to take the national team forward after Carlos Bilardo's resignation, just two months after he had publicly criticised Messi for his perceived single-minded attitude at Barcelona.

Maradona said: "Sometimes Messi plays for Messi. He feels so superior that he forgets his teammates." Messi attempted to clear the air in a later interview with La Gazzetta dello Sport, insisting "they were things that were said on the spur of the moment" and that he felt "appreciated" by Maradona. But the damage was done; Maradona had planted a seed of doubt about Messi's mentality in the minds of Argentina supporters.

Riquelme passed the No.10 shirt onto Messi after his retirement the following March, and Maradona built Argentina around the Barcelona superstar - who won the first of his eight Ballons d'Or later that year - ahead of the 2010 World Cup. Messi was at the peak of his early powers when the tournament kicked off in South America, full of confidence after a 47-goal campaign for Barca, but luck deserted him.

Argentina won all of their group games, scoring seven goals and conceding just one, before beating Mexico 3-1 in the round of 16, and Messi was at the heart of everything in a false nine role. He averaged six successful dribbles per game and provided Gonzalo Higuain and Carlos Tevez with constant world-class service, winning Man of the Match for an especially dazzling display in a 2-0 win against Greece - which saw him wear the captain's armband for Argentina for the first time.

However, the glaring flaws in Maradona's gameplan were exposed by Germany in the quarter-finals. Argentina were completely outmatched in a humiliating 4-0 defeat that saw Messi trapped deep and marked out of the game as Germany dominated the midfield battle.

Maradona bizarrely deployed Nicolas Otamendi as a right-back, and Lukas Podolski and Thomas Muller predictably exploited his lack of pace, while Javier Mascherano had to cover the whole width of the pitch as Argentina's only defensive midfielder. It was a disaster that laid bare Maradona's near-non-existent managerial experience, and the AFA parted ways with the beloved former attacker after the team's exit.

And yet, despite creating 16 chances, racking up 29 shots and hitting the woodwork four times, it was Messi who took the brunt of the blame for Argentina's failure. Because he didn't score, some fans saw him as an easy target, going so far as to dub him 'El Catalan' - implying his loyalty belonged to Barcelona rather than Argentina - and pointed to him not singing the national anthem before matches as proof of his detachment on the international stage. All of that was wildly unfair, but the situation would only get worse.

Messi did not record a single goal at the 2011 Copa America either. Argentina fell flat as tournament hosts right from the off under new boss Sergio Batista, first struggling to a 1-1 draw against Bolivia before playing out a goalless stalemate with Colombia. Messi and his colleagues were booed off the pitch after the latter game at the Estanislao López Stadium in Santa Fe.

Tellingly, before kick off, the stadium announcer concluded his introductions for the Argentina team by saying: "With the number 10, the best in the world, Lionel Messi. And with the number 11, the player of the people, Carlos Tevez." It didn't matter how talented Messi was, he had not yet earned the acceptance of his people.

The La Masia academy graduate was the architect of Argentina's 3-0 win against Costa Rica in their final group game, laying on two assists, but it was soon forgotten. Batista's side were held to a 1-1 draw after extra time by Uruguay in the quarter-finals, and ended up losing 5-4 on penalties. Messi gave it everything, setting up Higuain's equalising goal with a superb cross and converting his penalty in the shootout; he just couldn't mask Argentina's collective fragility.

This was now seen as a full blown crisis by the natives, and once again, Messi was the primary scapegoat. It took a toll on him, as former Argentina and Getafe goalkeeper Oscar Ustari, who missed the tournament due to injury, revealed after visiting the team’s training complex at Ezeiza to comfort the squad.

"I saw him as I had never seen him, destroyed," Ustari told Mundo Deportivo. "To question Messi is outrageous, things may or may not work out for you, but I can tell you that I saw him crying like a baby because of what was happening in the national team."

Alejandro Sabella took the managerial reins shortly after the Copa America, and gave Messi an instant lift by naming him Argentina's new permanent captain. The Barcelona legend hit 23 goals in his first 25 appearances as skipper, including 12 in 2012, which saw him equal Gabriel Batistuta's record for the most strikes in a single calendar year for the Albiceleste - with a stunning hat-trick in a 4-3 friendly win over Brazil serving as the highlight performance.

Sabella moved Messi from a wide position to a 'free-role' playmaker behind Higuain and Sergio Aguero, allowing him to orchestrate and finish attacks at will, while implementing an aggressive counter-attacking system that made Argentina a force to be reckoned with heading into the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.

Messi started the tournament like a man possessed, scoring four of Argentina's six group stage goals, and conjuring up the assist for Di Maria's extra time winner against Switzerland in the last 16. He was also the key man in wins over Belgium and the Netherlands as Argentina made it through to their first World Cup final since 1990, but they came unstuck against Joachim Low's Germany.

Germany clinched the trophy thanks to an extra-time winner from Mario Gotze, leaving Messi crestfallen. He picked up the consolation prize of the Golden Ball as the tournament's best player, but was not a popular choice because he didn't score in the knockout stages, with even Maradona himself coming out to question the decision.

"It’s not right when someone wins something that he shouldn’t have won just because of some marketing plan," he said. That was an outrageous accusation that didn't ring true. Although any one of Muller, James Rodriguez or Arjen Robben would have also been deserving of the award, Messi was a worthy winner because he carried Argentina with his breath-taking creativity.

Too much focus was placed on his underwhelming turn in the final, and his inability to convert a golden chance early in the second half. Messi was inconsolable, as he told Diario AS: "Right now, I don't care about anything. I wanted to take Argentina to the World Cup for all the people. We reached the final, while other Argentinians didn’t get past the quarter-finals. But we’re disappointed not to have won this game. There’s a lot of anger."

Messi bounced back in spectacular fashion at club level, winning his second La Liga, Champions League and Copa Del Rey treble at Barcelona. Forming one third of an unstoppable attacking triumvirate alongside Luis Suarez and Neymar, Messi registered a combined 86 goals and assists across all competitions, prompting then-Barca boss Luis Enrique to claim the Argentine is "from another dimension".

Those staggering achievements left Messi wide open to attack at the 2015 Copa America, though. He led Argentina to another final, but Chile pulled off an upset for the ages to clinch the trophy after a penalty shootout, and although Messi got another Player of the Tournament nod, he only scored once across six matches.

Maradona was there to rub salt in his wounds again. "It's logical that he's come in for flak, it's easy to explain," he told Ole. "We've got the best player in the world, who goes and scores four goals against Real Sociedad, and then he comes here and doesn't touch the ball. You're left saying to yourself, 'Dammit, are you Argentinian or Swedish?'"

Messi was also called out by his own grandfather, Antonio Cuccitini, who said to Radio Casilda: "Some of him was there. But the last three games he was bad. He was lazy." He and Argentina, helmed by Gerardo 'Tata' Martino at the time, had the opportunity for almost immediate redemption a year later, though, as the Copa America was staged again as a one-off exception to the usual four-year cycle to celebrate CONMEBOL's 100th anniversary and the tournament's formation in 1916.

Not that Maradona was among those expecting a different outcome. "He's a really good person, but he has no personality," Maradona said just days before the big kick-off in Chile. "He lacks the character to be a leader." Despite more unnecessarily harsh words from his long-time idol, Argentina made it to their third final in as many years by winning all of their first five games, including a 4-0 demolition of the USMNT in the semi-finals that saw Messi find the net with an astonishing 30-yard free-kick to become his nation's all-time top goalscorer.

That was one of five goals Messi scored at the event, but Martino's men would succumb to Chile - the tournament hosts - again in the showpiece. Just like in 2015, Argentina and Chile drew 0-0 after 120 minutes, and La Roja came out on top via penalties. This time, though, Messi failed to convert his spot-kick as Argentina's first taker in the shootout, blazing the ball well over the crossbar.

The captain sobbed uncontrollably at full-time in scenes that were difficult to watch. He had reached breaking point, and an earth-shattering announcement followed. "For me, the national team is over. I've done all I can. It hurts not to be a champion," said Messi to a group of reporters. "I think this is best for everyone."

Something even more unexpected happened after that, though. Over the course of the next six weeks, the reality of life without Messi dawned on the Argentine public.

Argentina did not have a team full of superstars. Beyond Aguero and Di Maria, there was a death of flair in the squad, and taking Messi out of the equation generated visions of a bleak future.

His announcement also put into perspective how much Argentina had achieved in such a short space of time. They came agonisingly close to a third World Cup crown, and played back-to-back Copa America finals, spending long periods at the top of FIFA's World Rankings in 2015 and 2016. They were agonisingly close to recapturing the greatness of the 1978-1990 era, and it was Messi who inspired the team to those giddy heights.

As anxiety levels rose, a nationwide campaign to change Messi's mind began. Then-Argentine president Mauricio Macri personally called Messi. The Mayor of Buenos Aires unveiled a statue of the Barcelona forward in the city. Digital traffic signs across the subway network and streets were changed to display the message: "No te vayas, Lio" (Don't go, Leo). Thousands of fans flocked to the Obelisco monument in the city to chant for Messi's return in the pouring rain.

This was a movement that brought the whole country together. Messi also received a letter from a 15-year-old academy star at River Plate named Enzo Fernandez. The youngster, who has since become an important part of Messi's story, begged for him to reconsider, but also vented his fury over the "ridiculous" expectations that had been placed on his shoulders.

Fernandez was absolutely right. Messi had also been disrespected and beat down by those who blindly refused to acknowledge his devotion and incredible consistency. Edgardo Bauza replaced Martino as manager in the August, and flew to meet Messi in Barcelona face-to-face to make it clear he wanted him to remain the face of the national team and that the next chapter of his Argentina journey could be much brighter.

In the end, Bauza didn't need to be overly persuasive, though, because Messi had been been having second thoughts. He reversed his retirement after the meeting, saying in a statement released by La Nacion: "I see there are many problems in Argentinian football and I don’t intend to create another one. I don’t want to cause any damage, I’ve always tried to do just the opposite, to help all that I can.

"We need to fix many things in Argentinian football, but I prefer to do this from inside and not criticise from outside. Many things went through my head the day of the last final and I seriously thought of leaving, but I love this country and this shirt too much. I’m grateful to all the people who wanted me to continue playing with Argentina, hopefully we can give them something to cheer about soon."

Messi finally felt the love he had always deserved from Argentina followers. However, his second coming did not bring about the success they craved straight away. Bauza was sacked in April 2017 after delivering just three wins out of eight in World Cup qualifying. Jorge Sampaoli came in to steady the ship, but the team still lacked a clear identity, and may not have made it to Russia 2018 had it not been for a miraculous Messi showing against Ecuador, with the Rosario native scoring all three goals in a nervy 3-1 win.

The comparisons with Maradona continued to follow Messi around, too. In the build-up to the 2018 World Cup, former Argentina striker Gabriel Batistuta explained why he would never hold Messi in the same esteem. He told Corriere dello Sport: "Diego was the greatest of all. He represents an Argentinian in many things, not just in football. He has a charisma. He has rare talent and fantasy. Messi, even if technically is same or more, he doesn't have more charisma than Maradona had. Diego could bring to life the entire stadium."

Argentina were shockingly bad in Russia, only scraping through the group stage after a 1-1 draw with Iceland a crushing 3-0 loss to Croatia, and they found themselves on the wrong end of a 4-3 scoreline against France in the round of 16. Messi laid on two assists in the France game, and scored a brilliant goal in Argentina's only win at the tournament against Nigeria, but generally seemed out of sorts, with former international team-mate Pablo Zabaleta saying to BBC Sport: "To see Leo looking so stressed and unhappy at this World Cup was a real worry. He is my friend and I felt really sorry for him. It is very unusual to see him like that, but it was a sign of what was going on in his head. There is a huge pressure on him because people expect too much."

Naturally, Maradona was also compelled to weigh in on the latest frustrating chapter in Messi's Argentina journey. "We shouldn't deify Messi any longer," he said to Fox Sports that October. "He's Messi when he plays for Barcelona. Messi is Messi when he wears that shirt, and he's another Messi with Argentina. He's a great player but he's not a leader. It's useless trying to make a leader out of a man who goes to the toilet 20 times before a game."

Maradona backtracked days later, again calling Messi "the best in the world" and claiming "the friendship I have with Lionel is much bigger than what all of you [journalists] can write", which was a feeble apology attempt. The Albiceleste 'Golden Boy' died in 2020, and thus didn't ever have to eat his original words. But Messi proved him wrong.

Sampaoli was unceremoniously dismissed after the 2018 World Cup admit reports of a dressing room revolt, and in came his assistant, Lionel Scaloni, initially on a caretaker basis. There was some pushback to the Scaloni appointment because he had never previously worked as a head coach and the squad needed a serious kick up the proverbial.

But Scaloni would soon silence the doubters and forge deep connections with the players that led to an unprecedented transformation. Fully aware of his importance, he put in extra time with Messi, immediately calling the Argentina captain to lay out his plans. He cleverly brought Pablo Aimar onto the call too, knowing that the former River and Valencia midfielder was Messi's role model growing up.

While previous managers seemed to demand that Messi do everything for Argentina, Scaloni put together a framework that allowed him to conserve his energy. He deployed a compact mid-block instead of a high-intensity press, and adapted the formation depending on the opponent.

It was a flexible approach that turned Argentina into a proper team. Scaloni didn't get over the line in his first tournament, the 2019 Copa America, but Argentina finished third, and there were more than enough positive signs to convince the AFA to hand him a permanent contract in the autumn.

Everything changed for Messi at the 2021 Copa America in Brazil. Argentina stormed to their first major trophy in 28 years, with Messi finishing as joint-top scorer with four goals and posting more assists that any other player (five). He also won a share of the Best Player award alongside Neymar, who was unfortunate to be on the losing side after a mesmerising final performance for Brazil.

This was the moment that Messi, and the Argentina team as a whole, broke through the psychological barrier. "I have peace of mind of having achieved the dream that has been denied to me so many times," he said in a later interview with ESPN. "It was like a dream, a spectacular moment.

Messi also spoke candidly about the external noise that had plagued his Argentina career to that point. "A part of the media treated us as failures, saying that we didn't feel the [responsibility] of wearing the jersey, that we shouldn't be in the national team," he said.

"We tried to be champions before, we were the first ones to want to. It's very difficult to win a World Cup or a Copa America. At the time they didn't value what we did, they only put emphasis on the fact that we didn't achieve the aim. The important thing is to feel satisfied that you have given your all...luckily, the last time [final] was different."

Argentina continued riding the wave through a comfortable World Cup qualifying campaign, booking their place at Qatar 2022 with five matches to spare, and they dismantled Euro 2020 winner Italy in the Finalissima at Wembley, with Messi and Di Maria both running riot.

Their incredible 36-game unbeaten run ended in the first game of the World Cup in a sensational 2-1 loss to Saudi Arabia, but this new and improved version of Argentina was equipped to deal with setbacks, and even more crucially, the country rallied behind them instead of jumping on their backs. What came next turned Messi and his supporting casts into immortals.

At 34, Messi simply could not put in the hard yards like he used to. But that was fine, because the likes of Rodrigo De Paul, Alexis Mac Allister, and Enzo Fernandez all doubled their work-rate in the centre of the pitch so that Messi could explode into life when it mattered most.

There was simply no stopping Messi in those moments; from his long-range winning goal against Mexico and assist of the century contenders against both the Netherlands and Croatia, he treated fans to a masterclass in every one of Argentina's five games after the Saudi Arabia loss. He saved his best for the final, though, scoring a brace in a heart-pounding 3-3 draw against France after extra time and netting a vital penalty in the subsequent shootout, which Argentina won 4-2.

Messi was awarded his second Golden Ball, a just reward for his 10 goal contributions, and ended the GOAT debate once and for all. He completed football.

The noticeable shift in his demeanour at the Copa America carried over to Qatar, too. Previously closed off, Messi became a more social team-mate, and an impressive motivational speaker before Argentina's biggest matches. The rest of the dressing room worshipped him and were willing to go to war in his name.

This new 'us against the world' ethos filtered into the stands. There was no longer reason to question Messi's emotional investment or willingness to fight. Maradona is still held up as Argentina's one true 'God' by many of those who lived through his peak years, but Messi had stepped out of his shadow forever.

His status as one of Argentina's favourite sons grew again after the team's successful Copa America defence in 2024, and their thrilling run to this summer's World Cup final. Messi turned 39 in North America, but still scored eight goals and set up another four, and he should have been given his third Golden Ball over eventual winner Rodri.

Argentina disgraced themselves with a horrible display of anti-football in their 1-0 final loss to Spain, and Messi never got into the game. That was a sad way for him to bow out of international football, but the memories of him tearing apart England in the semi-finals, his hat-trick against Algeria and his special strike against Egypt will last a lot longer.

Convincing Argentina supporters of his greatness was Messi's toughest battle. But the way he got there, and the unconditional bond he forged with them by the end, will have brought him as much satisfaction as any of the trophies he's won.

"Thank you for all the love over the past 20 years," Messi added in his retirement message. "I'm going to miss hearing you from the pitch so much. Now I'll be just one of you, always cheering and supporting from the sidelines." He will always be one of them.

A period of mourning will now be observed across Argentina as the country comes to terms with losing it's modern-day figurehead. His absence will affect the young and old, as reported by The Guardian, who shared one particularly poignant reaction from an 86-year-old Argentina supporter: "You have given me the greatest joys in my life. You will be in my heart until the day I die."

The Albiceleste fandom will now be Messi's biggest admirers from afar as he sees out his playing days in MLS with Inter Miami. It's been fascinating to see their relationship evolve, and a privilege to witness Messi's unparalleled wizardry in Argentina colours for so long.

"Thank you for absolutely everything," Leandro Paredes said in reply to Messi's announcement. "You are and always will be the greatest of all time." You'd be hard pressed to find anyone anywhere in the world that doesn't echo those sentiments, especially in Argentina.