Did Lionel Messi almost come to Vietnam?

Not many know that Messi was listed for Barcelona B's trip to Vietnam in 2005, yet he missed the game at My Dinh to compete in the U20 World Cup with Argentina and win the title.

It is little known that Lionel Messi, the 2022 World Cup winner and one of the greatest footballers ever, once came extremely close to setting foot in Vietnam.

This remarkable incident occurred over two decades ago, in June 2005, when the Vietnam Football Federation (VFF) hosted an international friendly tournament at My Dinh Stadium. The participating sides were the Vietnamese national team and three invited squads, with Barcelona B drawing the greatest interest from the local supporters.

Although it was just the reserve team of the Camp Nou home club, Barcelona B still featured numerous young talents nurtured by the renowned La Masia academy. Nevertheless, what astonished many was that the preliminary roster submitted by the Catalan side for the Vietnam trip included a standout name: Lionel Messi.

Back then, the 17-year-old "Flea" was regarded merely as a promising Argentine prospect. Nobody could have foreseen that this young lad would go on to win numerous Ballon d'Or awards and hoist the coveted World Cup golden trophy.

Regrettably, the encounter between the young Barcelona star and Vietnamese fans never materialized. The reason was that Messi was summoned to the Argentina U20 squad to prepare for the 2005 U20 World Cup, which coincided with the friendly tournament. He was compelled to drop out of the Hanoi trip to concentrate on his international responsibilities.

That decision proved to be a turning point in the Argentine superstar's career. At the 2005 U20 World Cup, the "Flea" erupted, netting six goals to claim the Golden Boot and the tournament's Best Player award, while leading Argentina U20 to a dominant championship. This competition is widely regarded as the launchpad that propelled Messi into the limelight and marked the start of his ascent to global football legend status.

In the meantime, Barcelona B did travel to Vietnam for the friendly event. The young Spanish side performed well and ultimately clinched the tournament title. Nonetheless, they suffered a notable "bitter pill" when they unexpectedly lost 0-1 to the Vietnam national team in their last group match. The player who netted that historic goal was Phan Thanh Binh.

Over twenty years have gone by, yet the tale of Lionel Messi being slated for a Vietnam visit continues to stir regret among fans. Had he not been occupied with the U20 World Cup back then, My Dinh Stadium might have been among the earliest Asian venues to host the "Flea" in action. It remains an unfulfilled rendezvous, yet it stands as one of the most fascinating and unforgettable legends in Vietnamese football history.