ATLANTA — Atlanta United's Thiago Almada traded in his five stripes to represent Argentina's white and baby blue to make his FIFA World Cup debut in Qatar Wednesday.
Almada became the first player in Major League Soccer history to appear for Argentina in the global competition and is the first active player from Atlanta's club to represent his country at a World Cup. The Argentina native was called onto the field during the team's match-up against Poland in the 86th minute to replace Alexis Mac Allister.
The midfielder was added as a late replacement to the South American powerhouse squad two weeks ago -- Argentina made its decision public on Nov. 17.
Almada had caught the eye of Argentina's coach earlier this year. He was called up to Argentina for a pair of friendlies in September and made his senior international debut on Sept. 23. The 21-year-old's performance in the win over Honduras even earned praise from Argentina captain Lionel Messi, according to an Atlanta United news release.
“Thiago is very fresh. He’s a very fast player who can play 1v1. He's clever and isn’t afraid of anything," Messi said after the Honduras match in Miami.
Messi has hinted that Qatar could be his final World Cup, making Almada's appearance debut alongside the soccer legend that much sweeter. The MLS Newcomer of the Year completed all of his passes helping Argentina secure a victory and a spot in the knockout phase of the tournament.
Almada may have another shot to join Messi on the pitch. Argentina faces Australia next.
