Lionel Andrés Messi Cuccittini turns 35 and the football world celebrates it. The star is considered by many as the greatest player in history thanks to his outstanding performance both for the national team and clubs. However, his professional career could have been cut short due to a serious foul by a well-known figure in Peruvian football: Alberto Rodríguez. How did it happen?
SEE ALSO: Lionel Messi and the Liga 1 football players who shared with Argentina's number 10
The encounter between them took place during the qualifiers for the 2006 Germany World Cup. A young Lionel Messi was in charge of attacking from the right wing, without knowing that he would come across one of the best Peruvian defenders at that time. 'La Pulga', faithful to his style, dribbled past and escaped from the tight marking of the defender. This led Alberto Rodríguez to take desperate actions and stop the Argentine with a precise kick to the shin. This action, of course, left the Albiceleste forward in great pain.
What was anecdotal about the foul was that the referee didn't even book the Peruvian defender, causing the Argentine players to protest vehemently against such injustice.
Lionel Messi's numbers against Peru
Lionel Messi has faced the Peruvian national team on 8 occasions. The forward's record is 0 losses, 3 draws, and 5 wins. In the CONMEBOL qualifiers, the 'Pulga' faced the 'Bicolor' 7 times: 3 in Lima (two 1-1 draws in 2008 and 2012 and a 2-0 win in 2020) and 4 in Buenos Aires (3 victories in 2005, 2009, and 2021, and a 0-0 draw at La Bombonera in 2017).
The 'Pulga' has only been able to score one goal against the Peruvian team, and it was in the 2007 Copa America. That match ended with a 4-0 victory for the Albiceleste, advancing in the continental tournament.