Somtosports Celebrates and Presents to You— Lionel Messi's Greatest Argentina Moments: From 2005 to World Cup Glory

Few footballers have given Argentina supporters more unforgettable moments than Lionel Messi.

From his teenage years with the Under-20 team to his final World Cup triumph in 2022, Messi's international career has been filled with extraordinary goals, assists, dribbles and moments of pure genius.

As he prepares for his final senior appearance for Argentina, here are some of the moments that best define his remarkable journey with the national team.

The 2022 World Cup final against France

For many, the defining Messi moment came in the 2022 World Cup final against France.

After scoring twice during the match, Messi converted his penalty in the shootout before Gonzalo Montiel scored the decisive kick.

As Argentina celebrated, Messi dropped to his knees in a mixture of relief and joy. After years of criticism and disappointment with the national team, the World Cup that had eluded him was finally his.

Messi finished the tournament with seven goals and was at the centre of almost everything Argentina did in Qatar.

It was the perfect conclusion to his World Cup journey.

The incredible assist against the Netherlands

Messi's brilliance was not limited to goals in Qatar.

Against the Netherlands in the quarter-final, he produced one of the tournament's most memorable assists.

Receiving the ball around 40 yards from goal, Messi found himself surrounded by Dutch defenders. Yet with a series of subtle movements, he created just enough space before playing a stunning pass into the path of Nahuel Molina.

The pass was perfectly weighted and almost impossible to anticipate.

Molina finished the move, but the moment belonged to Messi.

It demonstrated everything that made him special: vision, technique, balance, intelligence and an ability to see possibilities that other players simply could not.

The cheeky finish against Mexico in 2007

At the 2007 Copa America, Messi showed another side of his talent.

Against Mexico, Gabriel Heinze sent a long ball forward before Carlos Tevez carried it into the penalty area.

Messi received the ball and, instead of taking the obvious option, produced something extraordinary.

With his left foot, he lifted the ball over goalkeeper Oswaldo Sanchez and into the net.

It was an audacious finish from a player who had only recently turned 20.

There was nothing the goalkeeper could've done to stop the ball from entering the net

The free-kick against the United States

At the 2016 Copa America Centenario, Messi produced one of his most memorable free-kicks for Argentina.

Facing the United States in the semi-final, Messi stood over a free-kick around 25 yards from goal.

The wall appeared to cover the obvious route towards the goalkeeper's right.

Messi had other ideas.

He curled the ball around the wall and into the side netting, leaving goalkeeper Brad Guzan with no chance.

His celebration afterwards captured the moment perfectly.

It was another reminder that Messi could turn even a routine set-piece into something extraordinary.

The Ecuador hat-trick that saved Argentina

Argentina's qualification campaign for the 2018 World Cup had become a crisis.

Going into their final qualifier against Ecuador, they needed a victory to secure their place in Russia.

Things became even worse when Ecuador scored after just 37 seconds.

Then Messi took control.

He scored three goals, including a powerful finish into the top corner and a brilliant effort from outside the box.

Argentina won 3-1 and secured their place at the World Cup.

It was one of the clearest examples of Messi carrying his country when they needed him most.

The goal against Mexico in 2022

Four days after Argentina suffered a shock defeat to Saudi Arabia at the 2022 World Cup, their tournament appeared to be in serious danger.

Against Mexico, Argentina struggled for much of the match.

Then Messi appeared.

He found space outside the penalty area and produced a precise low finish to give Argentina the lead.

The goal changed everything.

Argentina went on to win 2-0, and the victory helped launch their extraordinary run to the World Cup title.

Without that moment, their entire tournament could have looked very different.

The moment that showed how much teams feared him

Not every great Messi moment involved a goal.

During the 2010 World Cup, Greece took extraordinary measures to stop him.

Greece defender Sokratis Papastathopoulos was instructed to follow Messi around the pitch rather than simply defend his normal position.

The plan showed the level of fear Messi created.

Even when he did not score, opponents were willing to change their entire tactical approach simply to limit his influence.

Argentina eventually won 2-0, with Messi playing a role in Martin Palermo's late goal.

The goal against Nigeria— controlled the ball brilliantly, moved forward a bit and shot the ball into the top corner, a brilliant one from Messi.

Before the trophies, records and worldwide fame, he was simply a talented young boy from Rosario trying to fulfil his dream.

A career filled with unforgettable moments

Messi's Argentina career has gone through almost every possible emotion.

There were the early signs of genius, painful defeats, missed opportunities, criticism and even his temporary retirement from international football.

But there were also Copa America triumphs, the 2022 World Cup, countless goals and assists, and moments that seemed almost impossible for a human being to produce.

From his first World Cup goal as an 18-year-old to lifting the World Cup trophy in Qatar, Messi's Argentina story became one of perseverance as much as talent.

His final appearance may bring the curtain down on his international career, but choosing one favourite Messi moment will remain almost impossible.

For Argentina supporters, there are simply too many.