Football is a sport that has been around for decades and is loved by millions of people around the world. Lionel Messi is one of the greatest football players of all time and has won numerous awards throughout his career. But, how many red cards does Messi have?
Messi’s Career
Lionel Messi is an Argentine footballer who currently plays for Paris Saint-Germain and has had a successful career so far. He started his professional career in 2004 with Barcelona and spent 21 years with the club, where he won numerous trophies and awards.
Throughout his career, Messi has scored over 750 goals and has won 36 major trophies. He has been awarded the Ballon d'Or, which is given to the best male footballer in the world, a record-breaking 7 times.
Messi's Red Cards
In a football match, a player can be shown a red card for violating the rules of the game. The player has to leave the field and cannot be replaced. The most common offense that can lead to a red card is serious foul play, violent conduct, and abusive language towards the match officials.
In Messi’s long career, he has been shown a total of 3 red cards. The first time Messi received a red card was in 2005, in his sixth-ever professional match, against the Hungarian club UD Levante in a friendly match. The second time was during the 2019-20 La Liga match against Athletic Bilbao, and the third time was during a Copa America match against Chile in the 2019 edition of the tournament.
Messi's Red Cards details
In the first match where Messi was shown a red card, he was only 18 years old. He received the card in the 63rd minute when he pushed and elbowed a player from the opposing team. In the second match where Messi was shown a red card, he was given the card in the 121st minute of the final of the Spanish Super Cup against Athletic Bilbao for violent conduct.
Finally, in the 2019 Copa America match against Chile, Messi was shown a red card in the 37th minute of the match for his clash with Chile's Gary Medel. Both players were sent off, and Argentina eventually won the third-place playoff.
Conclusion
Even though Messi has been playing for almost two decades, he has only received a total of 3 red cards. This is remarkable given that Messi is often targeted by opponents, and his style of play involves close control of the ball, which can lead to physical challenges from opposition players. Messi is a great example of a player who plays the sport fairly without resorting to violent conduct.
