verifiedCite
While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions.
Select Citation Style

How old was Lionel Messi in his first World Cup?

Lionel Messi made his FIFA World Cup debut at the 2006 tournament in Germany at the age of 18 years and 358 days, entering the pitch as a substitute during Argentina’s 6–0 win against Serbia and Montenegro. He made three appearances in that edition. In 2010 he made five appearances and provided one assist. At the 2014 World Cup he was named the Golden Ball award winner with four goals and one assist in seven appearances. In the 2018 tournament, he scored one goal in four appearances. Four years later Messi won the Golden Ball again, scoring seven goals and leading Argentina to win the 2022 World Cup.