How Many Red Cards Does Messi Have | Unveiling In 2024

One of the greatest footballers ever, Lionel Messi has had a career that spanned over two decades.

One of the world’s elite in terms of skills, vision and sportsmanship on the field, Lionel Messi has caught a lot of attention from fans to opinion over another aspect namely his disciplinary record.

Red cards are undoubtedly not the standout stat when it comes to his behavior as a player in an otherwise illustrious career, but they shine bright and full of color like Rudolph’s nose at xmas against everything else on his all-round temperament anyway.

This guide will focus on how many red cards Messi has, an in-depth overview as of 2024.

How Many Red Cards Does Messi Have in Club Football

Red Cards Received While Playing for FC Barcelona

1. February 27, 2005: Messi was shown a red card for the first time in his career as an FC Barcelona player, during a defeat to Club Atlético de Madrid. The sending off came for a second yellow respectively, with his offense coming in the final period of play.
2. August 17, 2009: At the time of the Spanish Super Cup match against Athletic Bilbao, Messi had a straight red card that earned him his first dismissal. In a competitive game, it was his first career direct red card.
3. October 27, 2013: Facing off against Real Madrid in a fiery contest, Messi saw red for two yellow cards within quick succession – the latter coming following an outburst at the official.
4. December 5, 2016: Having committed a high challenge that the referee deemed reckless, Messi earned his first Copa del Rey red card on Sunday against Espanyol.
5. January 17, 2021: In a Supercopa de España final against Athletic Bilbao, Messi did get himself sent off with a straight red card for lashing out at an opponent who was trying to grapple him up the field, slightly tainting what has otherwise been quite an undisciplined career in his later years.

Red Cards Received While Playing for Paris Saint-Germain (PSG)

1. April 4, 2022: In a Ligue 1 game against hitman Messi, however he eventually snapped and received his first red card as a PSG player. They were reduced to 10 men too when Unai Simon was shown a second yellow card in added time for gesturing at the referee.
2. November 9, 2023: One such high-stakes encounter took place in a UEFA Champions League game against Manchester City, when Messi was shown a straight red card for taking down an opponent who stood between him and the goal. The incident underscored the height of competition and how much pressure top players face.
3. February 5, 2024: The match with Olympique de Marseille, during which Messi saw red for a clash & received a straight red card on account of violent conduct A rare show of exasperation from a normally unflappable Argentine.

Red Cards in International Football

Red Cards Received While Representing Argentina

1. August 17, 2005: Messi showed his first red card for Argentina, when he played a friendly match against Hungary. That reduction came only moments in the wake of getting subbed on as he was deemed to have elbowed a supplier, an option that still generates numerous debatable discussions until today.
2. June 28, 2019: Messi was sent off during the Copa América third-place playoff against Chile after an incident with Gary Medel. But the pushing and subsequent reaction from the official after Spain’s draw with Morocco showed that international football is still very much a contact sport in more ways than one.
3. July 2, 2021:Messi was also sent off in a World Cup Qualifying match against Brazil after getting into a brawl with several players. For a pair of South American giants, emotions and hatred boiled over.

Notable Incidents and Their Impact on International Tournaments

The Red Card on His Debut Against Hungary (August 17, 2005)

An early portent of the controversy that would mark his international career was Lionel Messi’s red card on his Argentina debut, in a friendly against Hungary in 2005.

Messi, who came off the bench midway through the second half, was shown a straight red card two minutes from time for allegedly elbowing an opponent.

It was something that caused a significant debate at the time, whilst also influencing his developing mind as he may have taken more care of how aggressive his playing style became from this point.

The actual game was a friendly, but it was a precursor of the troubles Messi would have with the Argentine national team.

The Copa América Red Card Against Chile (June 28, 2019)

Messi’s red card in the 2019 Copa América third-place playoff match against Chile proved to be deeply damaging both on and off the field.

The red card was his sending-off following an incident with Chilean Gary Medal, who also received a second yellow. It deeply affected Argentina in that match, and caused lots of controversy throughout South American football standards.

The World Cup Qualifying Red Card Against Brazil (July 2, 2021)

Messi was shown red for the first time in his international career during a World Cup Qualifying match against Brazil last year, sending Argentina to a defeat that would be crucial eight months later.

It came after a melee of Argentinians and Brazilians, with emotions running high in the age-old South American rivalry as Messi got sent off.

That red-card suspension sparked the ban Messi has received from future qualifying encounters, a setback in terms of team balance which caused Argentina to alter part of their tactical planning for such decisive matches without their leader.

The incident put both sides on a war-footing and the well known rivalry between these two South American most followed teams added some chill over those upcoming mouth-water battles, which had affected positions of Argentina to progress for their next world cup campaign.

Comparison of Messi’s Red Card Record with Other Football Legends

Cristiano Ronaldo

Messi’s direct rival, Cristiano Ronaldo has a more extensive red card history.

In his career, Ronaldo has seen 11 red cards in total, whereas Messi is somewhat amongst the regular lot with so few that he can even list them.

Most of Ronaldo’s red cards have been in a violent behavior and disrespectful manner, showing his angry attitude during the game.

Zinedine Zidane

French footballer Zinedine Zidane is renowned for being sent off in the 2006 FIFA World Cup final match against Italy, where he infamously headbutted Marco Materazzi It was one of 14 red cards Zidane received in his career.

Zidane was brilliant and combustible, many of his red cards coming in the heat of big matches or played when he sat deep midfield.

Sergio Ramos

Another frequent symbol of anti-Messi sentiment at their tail end, Real Madrid center back and “El Clásico” nemesis Sergio Ramos holds La Liga’s career record for red cards with 26.

Ramos’ aggressive style of play and tendency to get involved in physical confrontations has resulted in a plethora of yellow cards.

Diego Maradona

Another Argentine legend, Diego Maradona wasn’t innocent himself when it came to disciplinary problems.

The Argentine was expelled seven times in his career, one of them in the 1982 World Cup match against Brazil.

Maradona’s game was also known to deal with several disciplinary cases due both currents of play related and off-field controversies.

Roy Keane

Manchester United icon Roy Keane tops the list, and understandably so given that his career featured 13 red cards.

He noted that his aggressive tackling and confrontational attitude often saw him sent off, an indication of the rugged style he played with as well as how important defending and attacking was to their team.

How Red Cards Have Affected Messi’s Games and Overall Career

For Lionel Messi, there is no doubt that red cards have made a significant mark on his record-breaking career like you would expect it to do when one GOAT was given the other (in its full form) in 2021.

The consequences of each red card have been limited temporarily, but they can only affect the tactics used by managers on that given day, or even change results in games, such as earlier this month when Messi was suspended for a 1-1 draw with Al Ain which ensured Barcelona had to win their final game against Kashima Antlers to reach the Club World Cup final.

This may have had to do with a red card Messi received for breaking the face of an opposing player in his first game for Argentina, against Hungary on 17th August 2005.

A red card in the 2019 Copa América against Chile was also significant, earning a three-month international ban and sparking tensions between Messi and CONMEBOL.

This is crucial for setting the tone in a match, and it emphasizes why red cards have broad consequences, spanning discipline to team morale.

His career in club football though, has remained relatively disciplined and a rare sight of Messi being given the marching orders from the field. This is not the case of some footballers, however.

As a result, there is nothing Messi-like about the eventual red card; his reputation or career path has not been embroiled to an infamy of that magnitude. They instead reinforce his ultra-competitive atmosphere and passion for the game.

Putting aside these incidents with red cards are merely reminders of the tightrope between assertive play and misconduct, with Messi mostly untroubled by disciplinary issues contributing to his depiction as one-of-football’s-most-cool-headed-and-professional-players.

Conclusion

One of the game’s all-time greats hanging up his boots, forever immortalized in footballing lore for an unbeatable combination of skill on a historical level and unyielding passion that spanned decades.

Although his journey has been marred by some red card incidents, it only serves as evidence for how competitive football at the highest level truly is.

Leading up to that game, Messi had only two career red cards in official matches and eight throughout his life as a competitor, hardly the numbers we would associate with other football legends.

There have been some unflattering headlines around Messi in 2014 but still he remains revered as one of history’s great footballers.

His successes under pressure, his dedication to his craft and unrelenting ability has engraved an everlasting mark in the game of football captivating a new generation of fans from every corner globe.