The story of Lionel Messi with the Argentina National Team has reached its conclusion after more than two decades. From his debut against Hungary in August 2005 to his final appearance in the 2026 World Cup final, the captain built a career that made him the player with the most appearances and goals in La Albiceleste's history.
Lionel Messi's Career Numbers With the Argentina National Team
Lionel Messi has brought his 21-year journey with the Argentina National Team to an end, leaving behind a historic collection of records: 207 appearances, 125 goals, 68 assists, six World Cups and four titles with La Albiceleste.
Messi retires from international soccer with 207 appearances and 125 goals. His scoring record includes 54 goals in friendlies, 36 in South American World Cup qualifiers, 21 at World Cups and 14 in Copa América. He also provided 68 assists during his career with Argentina.
Messi Leaves Historic Numbers With Argentina
Messi's longevity allowed him to play in six consecutive World Cups, from Germany 2006 through the 2026 edition. In total, he made 34 World Cup appearances and scored 21 goals in the competition.
His goalscoring ability was also reflected in several memorable individual performances. The Argentine recorded 10 hat-tricks for the national team, while his best scoring performance in a single match came against Estonia in June 2022, when he scored all five goals in a 5-0 victory.
Bolivia was the opponent he scored against most often, with 11 goals, while Ecuador and Venezuela each conceded seven.
Four Titles and Nine Finals With La Albiceleste
The biggest trophies arrived during the final stage of his international career. Messi won the 2021 Copa América, the 2022 Finalissima, the 2022 World Cup in Qatar and another Copa América in 2024.
He played in nine finals with the Argentina National Team, including three World Cup finals. After losing to Germany in Brazil 2014, he lifted the trophy against France in Qatar 2022 before later playing in the 2026 final against Spain.
The Qatar World Cup represented one of the high points of his career. Messi scored seven goals and was named the tournament's best player, an honor he had also received at Brazil 2014.
His international career began in unusual fashion, with a red card less than a minute after coming on against Hungary, and ended more than two decades later with numbers that will be extremely difficult to match. With 207 appearances, 125 goals, 68 assists, six World Cups and four titles, Lionel Messi closes one of the most important chapters in the history of the Argentina National Team.
