Messi won the Golden Shoe as the top scorer at the 2005 FIFA World Youth Championship. He scored six goals for Argentina in the Netherlands, finishing ahead of the tournament's other leading scorers and helping his team win the title.
Messi's goals came during a breakthrough tournament for Argentina's under-20 side. He scored his first goal against Egypt, then continued to contribute in the knockout rounds before scoring twice in the 2–1 final victory over Nigeria in Utrecht. His six-goal total earned him the Golden Shoe, the tournament's leading-scorer award.
The Golden Shoe is easy to confuse with the Golden Ball, which recognises the tournament's best overall player. Messi won that award too, making him both the leading scorer and the officially recognised best player of the competition. The tournament was then called the FIFA World Youth Championship; from 2007 onward, it became known as the FIFA U-20 World Cup.