At the age of 17 years, 3 months, and 22 days, Lionel Messi makes his professional league debut for Barcelona. He enters the game as a substitute against Espanyol. This makes him the youngest player to ever play for the club in an official match. Messi joined Barcelona’s prestigious La Masia academy in 2000, leaving his previous team, Newell’s Old Boys in Argentina, at the age of 13.
