Exactly 10 years ago, Lionel Messi made his competitive debut for Barcelona

On October 16, 2004, a 17-year-old Lionel Messi took the pitch for the first time in a La Liga fixture.

Barcelona were visiting Catalan rivals Espanyol in the Derbi Barceloni, and after scoring the match's lone goal in the ninth minute, Deco was substituted off in the second half for a long-haired Argentinian teenager who was then unknown to most of the footballing world.

While Messi failed to score in the match, the moment marked the beginning of one of the most successful decades that any player has experienced in La Liga, yet alone at the Camp Nou. And while addressing the milestone on Thursday, Messi thanked all those who have supported him on his path on superstardom.

"I want to say thanks to all my family, friends, teammates and FC Barcelona staff for their support in these 10 incredible years," wrote Messi on Facebook. "I've always enjoyed being on the pitch, wearing these colours, living amazing moments and I'm constantly trying to improve and win more titles with my team. A hug for everyone!"

Messi also took to Instagram to mark the occasion, delivering a message to his supporters in which he said: "I hope there's more to come and I have lots of desire to continue winning things, growing with this jersey. I hope it lasts a lot longer. Many thanks to everyone for the messages and for the congratulations."

Club president Josep Maria Bartomeau was one of many who took the time to congratulate Messi for all he's accomplished over the past 10 years.

For an idea of where Messi's numbers from the past decade rank in comparison to Europe's other greatest footballers, refer to the chart below.