How Many Tournaments Has Messi Played with Argentina?
Lionel Messi (36 years old), current captain of the Argentina national team, broke various records after playing against Canada in the opening match of the 2024 Copa América (2-0) held at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia, USA.
The Inter Miami player participated in his 13th international competition with the Albiceleste since making his debut on June 16, 2006, in the World Cup in Germany against Serbia and Montenegro (6-0), where he scored a goal in the 88th minute at the Veltins-Arena, home of Schalke 04. Since that match, Messi has participated uninterruptedly in competitions such as Copa América (2007, 2011, 2015, 2016, 2019, 2021, 2024), the Olympics (2008), and World Cups (2006, 2010, 2014, 2018, 2022).
Among Messi's international achievements, the most notable is winning the long-desired World Cup title in Qatar 2022 after defeating France 4-2 in a penalty shootout following a 3-3 draw in regular time. Besides the World Cup, the Argentine has also won a Copa América (2021) after defeating Brazil 1-0 at the Maracanã and a gold medal in Beijing after a narrow victory over Nigeria.
Messi is the player with the most appearances in the history of the Albiceleste, with 183 official matches since his debut in 2005 against Hungary in a friendly. Javier Mascherano follows in second place with 147 games, and Javier Zanetti is third with 145.
ANOTHER RECORD FOR MESSI
In addition to marking 13 consecutive international competitions, Lionel Messi, born in Rosario, achieved the record of becoming the player with the most matches in the Copa América, surpassing Chilean goalkeeper Sergio Livingstone.
Messi earned his 35th start in the tournament, surpassing Livingstone's 34 starts from 1941 to 1953. The Inter Miami forward's starts are divided as follows:
- Venezuela 2007: 6 matches
- Argentina 2011: 4 matches
- Chile 2015: 6 matches
- United States 2016: 5 matches
- Brazil 2019: 6 matches
- Brazil 2021: 7 matches
- United States 2024: 1 match
In the 35 matches Messi has played since 2007, the forward has scored a total of 13 goals, making him the seventh-highest scorer in the tournament, just four goals shy of the record shared by Tucho Méndez and Zizinho, who have 17 goals.
Messi scored two goals in the 2007 edition, one in Chile 2015, five in the 2016 edition in the United States, one in 2019, and four in the 2021 tournament.
