Lionel Messi has become an absolute icon of Argentine football, but his international destiny could have turned out very differently.
What if Leo Messi had never played for Argentina? It’s not fiction — it could genuinely have happened. Having arrived at FC Barcelona at just 13 years old, the prodigy trained in Catalonia has Spanish and Italian roots. Thanks to his dual nationality, he had the opportunity to represent Spain at the beginning of his career.
Messi Turned Down the Chance to Represent Spain
On the Miro de Atrás podcast, Messi once again confirmed that he could have worn the colors of La Roja. A decision that would undoubtedly have changed the history of several national teams — and world football itself.
“Yes, it happened, because I was playing at Barcelona. It was mentioned to me, but that’s normal — it happens to many kids. I am Argentine, even though I left for Barcelona at a young age. The possibility existed, and it could have happened, but my wish was always to play for Argentina,” replied La Pulga.
In the end, the forward chose Argentina, going on to become a world champion and a legend of La Albiceleste. But the idea of a different international path for Messi was far from unrealistic.
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