José Pekerman has looked back on one of the defining early moments in Lionel Messi’s international career: his first World Cup appearance in 2006. The former Argentina coach said he never doubted that the 18-year-old would go on to become one of the best players in the world.
Pekerman sent Messi onto the field in the 75th minute against Serbia and Montenegro in Gelsenkirchen, giving him his World Cup debut in a 4-0 win that helped introduce the teenager to the biggest stage in the sport. Messi responded immediately, assisting Hernán Crespo and then becoming the youngest Argentine to score in a World Cup in the same 6-0 victory.
Why Pekerman kept Messi’s role limited
Germany 2006 remains a controversial tournament in Argentina because many fans believe Messi should have played more. Pekerman, however, defended his approach. He said the idea was to help Messi keep growing in a more demanding environment while giving him time to adjust to the level and pace of international football.
As Pekerman explained it, the key was not to rush the process. He said it was important for Messi to get used to a more professional and complicated style of football, with his talent developing alongside that experience. In Pekerman’s view, the minutes mattered because he had no doubt Messi would be battling to be one of the world’s top players for the next 10 years.
A reflection that fits the record Messi built later
Messi’s tournament has since become part of World Cup history. He won the World Cup with Argentina in 2022, and over time he has become Argentina’s oldest World Cup scorer as well as the tournament’s all-time leading scorer. That makes Pekerman’s early faith feel even more notable in hindsight.
Pekerman said the story is one he enjoys, and he repeated that Messi’s talent was obvious from the start. He also recalled what he told Messi at the beginning: that there was a bad piece of news and a good one. The message behind that conversation was simple enough — the challenge would be real, but so would the future.
For Pekerman, the 2006 decision was never about discovering Messi. It was about introducing him at the right moment and trusting that his development would follow. Two decades later, that view has aged well.
