Lionel Messi: Giving Real Madrid nightmares for 10 years

Exactly a decade after his first game against Real Madrid, Lionel Messi is preparing for his 31st Clasico. Back in 2005, Barcelona were the holders of a single Champions League title, although that would change at the end of the season.

November 19 that year was a good day for Barca – two goals from Ronaldinho and another from Samuel Eto’o earned them a 3-0 victory and, famously, even the Madrid fans stood to applaud the Brazilian’s performance.

It was important day for Messi, too, but he was unable to mark it with a goal, instead seeing one disallowed for offside by referee Undianco Mallenco. Messi looked a bit lost as he tasted the Clasico for the first time but 10 years later he enters it as the icon of the football world, with Neymar his heir apparent.

Cristiano Ronaldo has, of course, been his direct competitor for several years but when Messi recovers from injury – perhaps in time for Saturday’s game in Madrid – he will be counting down the days until he picks up his fifth Ballon d’Or.

Messi has scored more goals than any other player (289) in La Liga. In 2014, he surpassed the record set by Alfredo Di Stefano (who scored 228) half a century earlier. The Clasico was very different then, with Madrid the dominant force until the boy from Rosario set foot on the Bernabeu turf.

Messi has since scored 21 goals against Barcelona's greatest rivals - more than any other player in the history of the fixture. Saturday could be an opportunity to further extend that record.

A decade ago Messi was seen as a young player with the world at his feet. He may not play on for another 10 years, but at 28 there should still be plenty more to come.

With Neymar and Luis Suarez at his disposal, Luis Enrique will not feel compelled to rush Messi back. But if, as expected, he plays even a couple of minutes, he will close the circle opened exactly 10 years ago on Thursday.