20 years of Messi: Ranking his seasons from worst to first

On Oct. 16, 2004, in the 82nd minute of a 1-0 win against local rival Espanyol, Barcelona manager Frank Rijkaard made a substitution. Off went Deco, the game’s lone scorer, and on came a 17-year-old Argentine named Lionel Messi.

Acquired from Newell’s Old Boys as an undersized 13-year-old, the intense, shaggy-haired teenager didn’t do a whole lot in his eight minutes on the pitch. In fact, he would continue playing primarily for the Barcelona B team during the 2004-05 season and wouldn’t score his first goal for the senior team until the following May. But those eight minutes were the start point for everything that followed.

Wednesday marks the 20th anniversary of Messi’s professional debut and the start of a career that has since encompassed many achievements. Those honors include eight Ballons d’Or, four UEFA Champions League titles, a FIFA World Cup title, an Olympic gold medal, two Copa América titles, 12 league titles (and one Supporters’ Shield!), three FIFA Club World Cup wins, nearly 20 domestic cups and super cups, countless varieties of Golden Boots and Balls, more than 800 goals, more than 50 hat tricks and the most assists of any soccer player on record.

To commemorate Messi’s 20 years in the soccer spotlight, ESPN looks back at each year by ranking them from 20th to first, and discusses the highs and lows of his storied career. This isn’t a simple ranking of when he scored the most goals — rather, it’s an attempt at bringing together his individual, club and international accomplishments. In fact, his single best individual season doesn’t actually rank No. 1.