Lionel Messi Retires from Argentina: All Records and Achievements

One of the greatest footballers in history, Lionel Messi, has retired from international football. An era that lasted 21 years has come to an end. During that time, the Argentine forward managed to win every possible trophy and set numerous records. In this article, we have collected his complete statistics, key achievements and the brightest moments of his career with the national team.

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All Lionel Messi Records for Argentina

Argentina National Team Records

• Record holder for appearances (208 matches). The previous record belonged to Javier Mascherano (147).
• All-time top scorer (126 goals). Gabriel Batistuta is second on the list with 56.
• All-time assist leader — 69 assists.

South American World Cup Qualifying Records

• 36 goals in World Cup qualifying — a South American record. Messi is ahead of Uruguay's Luis Suarez, who has 29.
• 72 World Cup qualifying appearances — joint first in history with Ecuador's Ivan Hurtado.

Copa America Records

• 39 Copa America appearances — a tournament record. Messi played in seven continental championships (2007, 2011, 2015, 2016, 2019, 2021, 2024).
• 25 Copa America wins — a tournament record.
• 17 assists in Copa America history — a competition record.
• 5 Copa America finals — three lost (2007, 2015, 2016) and two won (2021, 2024).

World Cup Records

• 34 World Cup appearances — more than any other player in tournament history. The previous record belonged to Lothar Matthaus (25).
• 21 World Cup goals — the second-best total in history behind Kylian Mbappe (22).
• 12 World Cup assists — a tournament record.
• 33 goal contributions (21 goals + 12 assists) — a World Cup record for goals plus assists.
• 26 World Cup matches as captain — a tournament record.
• 23 World Cup wins — a record, surpassing Miroslav Klose's mark of 18 after the 2026 World Cup.
• 16 Man of the Match awards at World Cups across his career — a record. Five of them came at one tournament (the 2022 World Cup), also a record.
• Twice named the best player at a World Cup (2014, 2022) — a tournament record.
• 6 World Cups (Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are the only players to have appeared at six editions).
• Scored at five different World Cups (2006, 2014, 2018, 2022, 2026).
• Scored in 9 consecutive World Cup matches — a record streak that ended in the quarter-finals of the 2026 World Cup.
• 11 consecutive World Cup matches with a goal contribution — a record.
• Most World Cup minutes played in a career.
• First player to score at every stage of a single World Cup (group stage, round of 16, quarter-final, semi-final and final at the 2022 World Cup).

Age Records

• Oldest player to score a World Cup hat-trick — 38 years and 359 days, against Algeria at the 2026 World Cup (3-0).
• Oldest player to score a World Cup brace — against Austria at the 2026 World Cup, five days after his hat-trick.

Captaincy Records

• 26 World Cup matches as captain — a tournament record.
• Youngest captain in Argentina history — 22 years and 363 days old (2010).
• Three World Cup finals as captain (2014, 2022, 2026) — matching Brazilian Cafu's record.

Other Records

• Most goals for a South American national team in history.
• Second-highest scorer in international football history.
• The only player to score against all of South America's major national teams (Brazil, Peru, Uruguay, Chile, Bolivia, Paraguay, Venezuela, Colombia and Ecuador).
• Most goals against one national team — 11 against Bolivia.
• Three World Cup finals — the second player after Cafu to appear in three World Cup finals.

How Many Titles Did Messi Win with Argentina?

Senior National Team

Copa America 2021. The tournament in Brazil became Messi's first senior international trophy and ended Argentina's 28-year drought without a major title. In the final at the Maracana, Argentina beat Brazil 1-0 thanks to an Angel Di Maria goal. Messi scored four goals and provided five assists during the tournament, becoming the team's main star.

Finalissima 2022. On June 1, 2022 at Wembley, Argentina defeated European champions Italy 3-0. Messi provided two assists in that match.

2022 World Cup. The greatest triumph of his career. In Qatar, Messi scored seven goals and provided three assists in seven matches, scoring at every stage of the tournament from the group stage to the final. In the legendary final against France (3-3, 4-2 on penalties), he scored twice and converted his penalty in the shootout.

Copa America 2024. Argentina defended their title in the United States, beating Colombia 1-0 after extra time in the final. For Messi himself, the tournament was disrupted by injury.

Youth and Olympic Titles

FIFA U-20 World Cup (2005). The 18-year-old Messi scored in each of Argentina's four knockout matches and converted two penalties in the final against Nigeria. He was named both the tournament's best player and top scorer.

Olympic Gold (Beijing 2008). Messi scored two goals for Argentina's Olympic team during the tournament and provided the assist for the winning goal in the final against Nigeria (1-0).

Messi's World Cup Statistics

All Messi Goals for Argentina by Competition

Messi's Most Important Matches for Argentina

1. August 17, 2005. Hungary — Argentina, 1-2 (friendly). Debut. Messi came on in the 64th minute and was shown a straight red card two minutes later. One of the most absurd debuts in football history.
2. June 16, 2006. Argentina — Serbia and Montenegro, 6-0 (2006 World Cup, group stage). First World Cup goal. The 18-year-old Messi came on as a substitute, provided an assist and scored in the 88th minute.
3. July 10, 2021. Argentina — Brazil, 1-0 (2021 Copa America final). First senior trophy. Messi had waited 34 years for this moment. Di Maria's goal gave Argentina their first title since 1993. Leo did not register a goal contribution in the final but was named the tournament's best player.
4. December 18, 2022. Argentina — France, 3-3 (4-2 on penalties) (2022 World Cup final). Perhaps the greatest final in football history. Messi scored twice, converting a penalty in the 23rd minute and finishing again in the 108th, before calmly scoring Argentina's first penalty in the shootout. Argentina became world champions for the third time, while Messi won his second World Cup Golden Ball.
5. July 14, 2024. Argentina — Colombia, 1-0 (2024 Copa America final). Title defence. Messi suffered an ankle injury in the second half and left the pitch in tears, but Argentina pulled out the win in extra time thanks to Lautaro Martinez's 112th-minute goal.
6. June 17, 2026. Argentina — Algeria, 3-0 (2026 World Cup, group stage). A hat-trick in the opening match of his sixth World Cup. At 38 years and 359 days old, Messi became the oldest player to score a World Cup hat-trick and at that point drew level with Miroslav Klose on 16 career World Cup goals.
7. July 19, 2026. Argentina — Spain, 0-1 after extra time (2026 World Cup final). Lionel's final official match in an Argentina shirt. Argentina lost in extra time. Messi played all 120 minutes but did not score. After the final whistle, the forward cried while looking toward the stands filled with Argentina supporters, realizing that his international story had come to an end.

When Did Messi Retire from Argentina? His Final Match

Messi had already made the decision to retire from international football in July 2026, but Leo was only able to announce it a month later, following the death of his father.

Lionel's farewell appearance for the national team took place on October 6, 2026 at the Monumental Stadium in Buenos Aires. Argentina beat Benin 3-0. In his final match for the national team, Messi scored once and provided two assists. The farewell became a national event. Tickets sold out in four minutes, and the day of the match was declared a public holiday.