El Diez, a veteran of the national team for more than 17 years, stands as the player with the most appearances, the most goals, and now holds three well-earned titles.
Lionel Messi has worn Argentina’s jersey in the national team for over 17 years, almost without interruption. After enduring a long arc of challenging days, the moment of glory finally arrived: after finally overcoming the Copa América 2021 drought, the 2022 World Cup in Qatar crowned him with the one title that had long eluded his remarkable career.
Following that pinnacle moment at the World Cup, the Rosario-born star pressed forward. Although he had suggested during the pre-tournament period that it could be his last World Cup, his triumph left room for a possible Last Dance in 2026.
For the moment, the Ten is turning attention to the upcoming qualifiers and the Copa América 2024, basking in a near-mythic rapport with the fans, who have elevated him to a place alongside Diego Armando Maradona in the annals of the national team’s history.
To understand such unwavering dedication, one only has to look at Messi’s numbers. He is currently the player with the most appearances in the history of the national team and also its top scorer.
Goal.com presents a comprehensive look at Messi’s national team numbers.
MATCHES PLAYED
Messi made his debut against Hungary on August 17, 2005, and continued to represent the light blue and white through countless fixtures, up to the friendly against Panama—the first after the 2022 World Cup final loss to France. In total, he has played 173 matches for Argentina as of that period, moving past Javier Mascherano in the tally after the Copa América clash against Bolivia on June 28, 2021. Over his career, he has taken part in five World Cups, a record for an Argentine player, and six Copa Américas.
In Qatar, Messi reached 26 World Cup appearances, surpassing Lothar Matthäus as the player with the most matches in the tournament’s history. Moreover, with Argentina’s 3-0 victory over Jamaica on September 27, 2022, he became the first player to record 100 wins with the national team.
GOALS
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Across friendlies, qualifiers, World Cups and the Copa América, El Diez has tallied 99 goals for the national team. He remains the all-time top scorer, surpassing Gabriel Batistuta, and even eclipses Pelé to become the leader in goals for a South American national team. His first goal arrived in a March 1, 2006 friendly against Croatia, a 3-2 loss in Switzerland, while the most recent goals were recorded in the regular-time tally of the World Cup final against France.
ASSISTANCE
Messi has delivered 53 assists for the national team across his career. The most recent: the setup to Julián Álvarez after a feint against Gvardiol in the 2022 Qatar semifinal. His favorite partners in assists include Gonzalo Higuaín and Sergio Agüero, each contributing nine goals to his totals.
TITLES
In addition to winning the Under-20 World Cup in 2005 and the Olympic gold in 2004 with the Under-23 squad, Messi endured losses in multiple Copa América finals and a World Cup final before lifting his first major senior trophy in the Copa América 2021. A few months later, in June 2022, he collected the Finalissima trophy after Argentina defeated Italy 3-0, a victory sparked by the triumph over Brazil. On December 18, 2022, Argentina clinched the World Cup title with a dramatic 3-3 draw followed by a 4-2 win on penalties against France.
Note: All figures are compiled from official match records and team statistics as reported by Goal and corroborated by national federation archives.