How Spain tried to convince Lionel Messi to switch national teams

Before Lionel Messi became a global icon and led Argentina to World Cup glory, Spain made a concerted effort to persuade him to play for La Roja. The Spanish Football Federation pursued the young prodigy relentlessly, aiming to secure his talent for their national team.

“

Well, I knew the situation from when I was very little. Because the coaches he had at Barcelona, one of them, Álex, especially, never stopped telling me.

Ginés Meléndez, a long-time youth national team director for Spain, was a key figure in these efforts. He closely monitored Messi's development at Barcelona's youth academy. Meléndez recalled how coaches like Álex García and Messi's teammates were used to send messages, urging him to join the Spanish side. The federation even contemplated officially calling him up to force a decision, but Messi's commitment to Argentina was already clear.

Meléndez recounted a specific instance where he tried to convince Messi during a youth tournament in Albacete. Despite regulations preventing foreign players from participating, Meléndez expressed his desire for Messi to play with him and his Spanish teammates. However, Messi's deep-seated desire to represent his home country, Argentina, remained unwavering.

“

I insisted so much that he could come with us. Through the coach, through Álex, through his own teammates, who I already had on the national team, I just kept sending him messages to play with me and play with them.

Messi officially debuted for Argentina's U-20 team on July 29, 2004, against Paraguay. This marked the beginning of his legendary international career, fulfilling his lifelong ambition to play for the country of his birth, despite Spain's persistent attempts to sway him.

“

It's just that you had to play with me, you had to play with Spain and with your teammates.