“Messi: The Forgotten Tape” Coming Soon To ESPN & Disney+
Disney has announced a brand new documentary short film called “Messi: The Forgotten Tape / Messi: La Cinta Olvidada” which will uncover one of the most consequential and little-known stories in modern football history.
This new documentary highlights the pivotal moment that helped shape Lionel Messi’s international future and altered the trajectory of global football.
In 2004, as the internet was still in its early stages, the news that a young Argentine was tearing it up in Spain was slow to arrive in his native South American country. So, when a 16-year-old Lionel Messi was beginning to turn heads in FC Barcelona, the federation couldn’t believe this young player, who was on course to obtain Spanish citizenship, was still not representing a nation. A VHS tape with highlights of the young phenom was commissioned for a Barça TV journalist to put together and hand-delivered to an Argentine National Football Team assistant coach in hopes this would lead to a call-up.
The tape would travel across the world and quietly set in motion a pivotal decision between Spain and Argentina, culminating in a story never-before-told in a documentary: how two friendly matches were quickly scheduled by the Argentine Football Association with one purpose — to secure Lionel Messi’s future with Argentina.
“Messi: The Forgotten Tape / Messi: La Cinta Olvidada” will premiere on Sunday, 10th May 2026 at 5:30 p.m. ET on ESPN and ESPN Deportes. It will also be available on ESPN Unlimited and ESPN On Disney+ for bundled subscribers in the United States. The documentary will also stream on Disney+ internationally at a later date.
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