Messi ends more than two decades with Argentina and its record books

Lionel Messi brings more than two decades with the Albiceleste to a close on Tuesday, with a record-laden career behind him. He is both Argentina’s leading scorer and the player with the most appearances for the national team. His mark extends beyond the team itself, reaching major international competitions from the World Cup and Copa América to South American qualifying.

Messi has featured at six World Cups, from Germany 2006 through the 2026 edition hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada. Cristiano Ronaldo is the only other player to share that tally. Messi’s World Cup record also includes two unique achievements: he is the only player to provide assists at five editions and the only one to score in the competition as a teenager, in his twenties and in his thirties.

Copa América is another major part of that record. Messi has played in seven editions, from Venezuela 2007 to the 2024 tournament in the United States.

His influence also extends to South American qualifying for the World Cup, where his performances have left their statistical mark. Taken together, those records reach well beyond the achievements of Argentina’s national team alone.

More than two decades after his debut against Hungary, Messi leaves Argentina having collected trophies and reshaped many of the team’s leading individual records. The scale of his legacy is reflected both in the length of his international career and in his place across the major competitions of international football.