Before Lionel Messi became football’s permanent main character, he was lining up against Nigeria’s Flying Eagles in the 2005 FIFA World Youth Championship final. This old photo is basically a reminder that our boys have been sharing pitches with future Ballon d’Or landlords since forever — no small history.
The final took place in Utrecht, Netherlands, on 2 July 2005, with Messi pictured alongside Nigeria’s Olubayo Adeemi and Dele Adeleye. Argentina won the match 2–1, and Messi finished the tournament with the trophy, the Golden Ball and plenty evidence that the tiny guy was about to become everybody’s problem.
Still, seeing Nigerian players in the same frame as young Messi? Proper football-memory goosebumps.