Stars like Sergio Aguero, Angel Di Maria and Javier Mascherano were part of that Argentina side at the 2008 Olympics…
Lionel Messi's first success with Argentina, albeit the U23 side, came at the 2008 Beijing Olympics when the Albiceleste defeated Nigeria 1-0 in the final to win the gold medal.
The Barcelona star had scored two goals in the tournament as La Albiceleste every single match in the competition including a thumping 3-0 win over Brazil in the semifinal to bag the gold.
Along with Messi, there were players like Sergio Aguero, Angel Di Maria and Ezequiel Lavezzi who went on to have illustrious careers.
Star Argentine midfielder Juan Roman Riquelme was one of the three players in the team who exceeded the age limit. Here were take a look at the Argentina squad from Beijing Olympics and where are their members now.
Getty Images1Lionel Messi (FW)The star of that gold medal-winning Argentina squad was undoubtedly Lionel Messi who recently guided Argentina to Copa America 2021 triumph. This was Messi's first major international trophy with La Albiceleste. Messi's contract with FC Barcelona got over in 2021 but he is very close to sign a fresh five-year contract with the club.AdvertisementGetty Images2Ezequiel Lavezzi (FW)Lavezzi was playing for Italian side Napoli when he played at the Olympics. But it was in 2012 that he came into prominence after joining PSG. Lavezzi was an integral part of the Argentina team that finished runners-up at the 2014 World Cup. He retired from football in 2019.Getty Images3Diego Buonanotte (FW)
Buonanotte currently plays for Chilean club Universidad Católica. He has never represented the senior Argentina side.
Télam4Lautaro Acosta (FW)
After playing at the Olympics, it took Acosta nine years to get a senior national team call-up when Jorge Sampaoli called him to the national team for the 2018 World Cup qualifiers. He currently plays for Argentine club Lanus.