Messi was set to play for Spain, Pekerman reveals

There is no one more important to Argentina than Lionel Messi. The legendary number 10, a World Cup, Copa América, Olympic, and U20 World Cup champion, is deeply embedded in the country’s footballing identity and is predicted to defend the title earned in Qatar at the 2026 World Cup. His remarkable career with the ‘Albiceleste’, however, may have gone very differently.

Early in his career, after moving to Spain to play for FC Barcelona, the Rosario-born prodigy had a chance to sign with the Spanish national team. Jose Pekerman, the former manager of Argentina, has finally disclosed the full scope of this possibility.

Messi had represented Spain in an Under-17 competition in Finland, where we had obtained intelligence on him. At the ‘Ole Summit 2025’, Pekerman remarked, “The Spanish coaching staff made it clear that they would have won the competition if they had his talent.”

“He was meant to be a game-changing figure in Argentine football, a true blessing, and I saw his enormous potential. Yet, he said, “urgent action was needed, and the required paperwork was already prepared for him to represent Spain in the Under-20 World Cup.”

Argentina came up with a strategic plan with Pekerman. The former manager explained the matter to Hugo Tocalli, his Under-20 counterpart. “I told him to make sure Messi just participated in a friendly game, signed the team sheet, and turned it in if it wasn’t absolutely required. At the time, FIFA rules stated that a player was not eligible to play for another senior national team after representing one youth national team. For an 18-year-old Messi to represent Spain in the Under-20 World Cup, the necessary paperwork was prepared. This sparked our forceful action,” he said. a turning point that irrevocably changed the course of both national teams.FIFA. “That action alone would guarantee that Spain could never claim him,” Pekerman recalled, guaranteeing Messi’s status on the international scene under the current rules.