When the 2004-05 season commenced, Barcelona boss Frank Rijkaard had expected to work with established stars such as Ronaldinho, Henrik Larsson and Samuel Eto'o in his forward line.
Future midfield maestro Andres Iniesta was seen as one of the Blaugrana's most exciting talents at the time, but the senior crop of Camp Nou players were also left star-struck by a wing wizard from Argentina, who was originally set for another year of B-team development.
However, Rijkaard was convinced to take a punt on a 17-year-old Lionel Messi, who made his debut for the Catalan giants 21 years ago today, replacing Deco in the 82nd minute of a 1-0 La Liga win over Espanyol on October 16, 2004.
What more can we say about the eight-time Ballon d'Or winner's Blaugrana career that has not already been said? Seven hundred and seventy-eight games, 672 goals, 303 assists - the now-Inter Miami talisman should forever hold many a record for the colossal Catalan club.
To mark the anniversary of Messi's Barca debut, Sports Mole provides a detailed list of the club's 10 highest scorers of all time.
1. Lionel Messi (2004-2021)
© Reuters
Goals: 672
Appearances: 778
Ratio: 0.86 goals per game
League goals/appearances: 474 goals in 520 games (0.91 goals per game)
Copa del Rey goals/appearances: 56 goals in 80 games (0.70 goals per game)
European goals/appearances: 137 goals in 173 games (0.79 goals per game)
Highest-scoring season: 73 goals in 60 games (2011-12)
Hat-tricks: 48
First goal: May 1, 2005 (vs. Albacete)
Last goal: May 16, 2021 (vs. Celta Vigo)
Awards:
La Liga titles: 10 (2004-05, 2005-06, 2008-09, 2009-10, 2010-11, 2012-13, 2014-15, 2015-16, 2017-18, 2018-19)
Copa del Rey: 7 (2008-09, 2011-12, 2014-15, 2015-16, 2016-17, 2017-18, 2020-21)
Spanish Super Cups: 7 (2006, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2016, 2018)
Champions League: 4 (2005-06, 2008-09, 2010-11, 2014-15)
UEFA Super Cups: 3 (2009, 2011, 2015)
Club World Cups: 3 (2009, 2011, 2015)
Ballon d'Or: 8 (2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2019, 2021, 2023)
European Golden Shoe: 6 (2009-10, 2011-12, 2012-13, 2016-17, 2017-18, 2018-19)
Champions League top goalscorer: 6 (2008-09, 2009-10, 2010-11, 2011-12, 2014-15, 2018-19)
Pichichi Trophy: 8 (2009-10, 2011-12, 2012-13, 2016-17, 2017-18, 2018-19, 2019-20, 2020-21)
La Liga Best Player: 9 (2008-09, 2009-10, 2010-11, 2011-12, 2012-13, 2014-15, 2016-17, 2017-18, 2018-19)
Barcelona Top Goalscorer (league): 11 (2009-10, 2010-11, 2011-12, 2012-13, 2013-14, 2014-15, 2016-17, 2017-18, 2018-19, 2019-20, 2020-21)
Goals: 232
Appearances: 351
Ratio: 0.66 goals per game
League goals/appearances: 190 in 287 games (0.66 goals per game)
Copa del Rey goals/appearances: 36 goals in 57 games (0.63 goals per game)
Highest-scoring season: 33 goals in 31 games (1948-49)
First goal: October 24, 1942 (vs. Real Betis)
Last goal: June 13, 1954 (vs. Real Madrid)
Awards:
La Liga titles: 5 (1944-45, 1947-48, 1948-49, 1951-52, 1952-53)
Copa del Generalisimo: 3 (1951, 1952, 1953)
Copa Eva Duarte: 3 (1948, 1952, 1953)
Latin Cups: 2 (1949, 1952)
Pichichi Trophy: 1 (1948-49)
Barcelona Top Goalscorer (league): 5 (1945-46, 1947-48, 1948-49, 1949-50, 1950-51)
© Reuters
Goals: 198
Appearances: 283
Ratio: 0.70 goals per game
League goals/appearances: 144 in 191 games (0.75 goals per game)
Copa del Rey goals/appearances: 19 goals in 27 games (0.70 goals per game)
European goals/appearances: 26 goals in 56 games (0.46 goals per game)
Highest-scoring season: 59 goals in 53 games (2015-16)
First goal: November 25, 2014 (vs. APOEL Nicosia)
Last goal: August 14, 2020 (vs. Bayern Munich)
Awards:
La Liga titles: 4 (2014-15, 2015-16, 2017-18, 2018-19)
Copa del Rey: 4 (2014-15, 2015-16, 2016-17, 2017-18)
Spanish Super Cups: 2 (2016, 2018)
Champions League: 1 (2014-15)
UEFA Super Cups: 1 (2015)
FIFA Club World Cups: 1 (2015)
European Golden Shoe: 1 (2015-16)
Pichichi Trophy: 1 (2015-16)
Barcelona Top Goalscorer (league): 1 (2015-16)
Goals: 194
Appearances: 281
Ratio: 0.69 goals per game
League goals/appearances: 131 in 186 games (0.70 goals per game)
Copa del Rey goals/appearances: 49 goals in 48 games (1.02 goals per game)
European goals/appearances: Seven goals in 11 games (0.64 goals per game)
Highest-scoring season: 26 goals in 19 games (1951-52)
First goal: May 3, 1951 (vs. Sevilla)
Last goal: May 27, 1961 (vs. Espanyol)
Awards:
La Liga titles: 4 (1951-52, 1952-53, 1958-59, 1959-60)
Copa del Generalisimo: 5 (1951, 1952, 1953, 1957, 1959)
Inter-Cities Fairs Cups: 2 (1955-58, 1958-60)
Latin Cups: 1 (1952)
Copa Eva Duarte: 2 (1952, 1953)
Barcelona Top Goalscorer (league): 3 (1951-52, 1953-54, 1955-56)
Goals: 184
Appearances: 360
Ratio: 0.51 goals per game
League goals/appearances: 21 in 28 games (0.75 goals per game)
Copa del Rey goals/appearances: 63 goals in 73 games (0.86 goals per game)
Highest-scoring season: 21 goals in 15 games (1927-28)
Last goal: May 8, 1932 (vs. Valencia)
Awards:
La Liga titles: 1 (1928-29)
Copa del Rey: 5 (1920, 1922, 1925, 1926, 1928)
Catalan Championship: 12 (1918-19, 1919-20, 1920-21, 1921-22, 1923-24, 1924-25, 192-26, 1926-27, 1927-28, 1929-30, 1930-31, 1931-32)
Barcelona Top Goalscorer (league): 1 (1931-32)
Goals: 167
Appearances: 236
Ratio: 0.71 goals per game
League goals/appearances: 55 in 115 games (0.48 goals per game)
Copa del Rey goals/appearances: 20 goals in 26 games (0.77 goals per game)
European goals/appearances: One goal in two games (0.50 goals per game)
Highest-scoring season: 19 goals in 29 games (1944-45)
First goal: December 1, 1934 (vs. Arenas de Guecho)
Last goal: November 2, 1947 (vs. Celta Vigo)
Awards:
La Liga titles: 2 (1944-45, 1947-48)
Copa del Rey: 1 (1942)
Spanish Super Cups: 1 (1945)
Catalan Championship: 2 (1934-35, 1935-36)
Barcelona Top Goalscorer (league): 3 (1934-35, 1935-36, 1944-45)
Goals: 158
Appearances: 399
Ratio: 0.40 goals per game
League goals/appearances: 105 goals in 101 games (1.04 goals per game)
Copa del Rey goals/appearances: 35 goals in 37 games (0.95 goals per game)
Highest-scoring season: 29 goals in 15 games (1915-16)
Awards:
Catalan Championship: 10 (1912-13, 1915-1916, 1918-1919, 1919-1920, 1920-1921, 1921-1922, 1923-1924, 1924-1925, 1925-1926, 1926-1927)
Copa del Rey: 5 (1913, 1920, 1922, 1925, 1926)
Pyrenees Cup: 2 (1912, 1913)
8. Samuel Eto'o (2004-2009)
Goals: 130
Appearances: 199
Ratio: 0.65 goals per game
League goals/appearances: 108 in 144 games (0.75 goals per game)
Copa del Rey goals/appearances: Two goals in 10 games (0.20 goals per game)
European goals/appearances: 16 goals in 39 games (0.41 goals per game)
Highest-scoring season: 36 goals in 52 games (2008-09)
First goal: August 29, 2004 (vs. Racing Santander)
Last goal: May 30, 2009 (vs. Deportivo)
Awards:
La Liga titles: 3 (2004-05, 2005-06, 2008-09)
Copa del Rey: 1 (2008-09)
Spanish Super Cups: 2 (2005, 2006)
Champions League: 2 (2005-06, 2008-09)
UEFA Team of the Year: 2 (2005, 2006)
Pichichi Trophy: 1 (2005-06)
Barcelona Top Goalscorer (league): 4 (2004-05, 2005-06, 2007-08, 2008-09)
8. Rivaldo (1997-2002)
© Reuters
Goals: 130
Appearances: 235
Ratio: 0.55 goals per game
League goals/appearances: 86 in 157 games (0.55 goals per game)
Copa del Rey goals/appearances: 13 goals in 20 games (0.65 goals per game)
European goals/appearances: 30 goals in 52 games (0.58 goals per game)
Highest-scoring season: 36 goals in 53 games (2000-21)
First goal: August 30, 1997 (vs. Real Sociedad)
Last goal: April 20, 2002 (vs. Celta Vigo)
Awards:
La Liga titles: 2 (1997-98, 1998-99)
Copa del Rey: 1 (1997-98)
UEFA Super Cups: 1 (1997)
Ballon d'Or: 1 (1999)
FIFA World Player of the Year: 4 (1999)
Champions League Top Goalscorer: 1 (1999-2000)
Barcelona Top Goalscorer (league): 3 (1997-98, 1998-99, 2000-01)
Goals: 128
Appearances: 214
Ratio: 0.60 goals per game
League goals/appearances: 97 in 112 games (0.87 goals per game)
Highest-scoring season (league): 30 goals in 23 games (1942-43)
First goal: May 19, 1940 (vs. Athletic FC de Palma)
Last goal: February 8, 1947 (vs. Real Oviedo)
Awards:
La Liga titles: 1 (1944-45)
Copa del Generalisimo: 1 (1942)
Pichichi Trophy: 1 (1942-43)
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