The 2006 World Cup was held in Germany — it was Lionel Messi’s first World Cup. In the tournament, the Argentine magician played wearing the number 19 jersey; in subsequent World Cups, he wore the number 10. But the number 19 jersey from the Germany World Cup remains historic for Argentines, as it’s the one Messi wore when he scored against Serbia and Montenegro in the away kit — his first goal on the world stage.
The jersey is part of an Adidas retro design. Adidas launched it ahead of the last World Cup as a tribute to the kit worn by La Albiceleste at the 2006 World Cup in Germany. It closely resembled the away kit from that tournament: dark blue with touches of light blue and white.
Messi made his World Cup debut wearing this away jersey and scored his only goal of the tournament, coming late in a 6-0 win over Serbia and Montenegro in the second group match.
Messi did not wear the number 10 jersey at that tournament, as the iconic number belonged to Juan Román Riquelme at the time. It’s worth noting that Messi was very young when he made his debut for Barcelona — only 18 years old — and had not yet achieved fame; he wasn’t even a regular starter for the team.
Beyond his World Cup memories, the former PSG star has another fond memory associated with this jersey: he scored the first of his 125 international goals while wearing it, in a friendly against Croatia on March 1, 2006. Although José Pékerman’s side lost the match 3-2, Argentina took a 2-1 lead in the first half thanks to Messi’s goal.
The photo posted by Nico Paz — a 21-year-old born in Tenerife who chose to represent Argentina — is another sign of his admiration for La Albiceleste’s all-time top scorer. He was part of the same squad as Messi at the last World Cup, and although his playing time in the tournament was limited (just 71 minutes), many see great potential in the Como midfielder. According to some observers, the attacking midfielder has all the qualities needed to become Argentina’s biggest star after Lionel Messi.
