6 trophies and 126 goals: Lionel Messi's international career in numbers

Lionel Messi made his international debut in August 2005, coming on in Budapest as an 18-year-old for a friendly against Hungary. Twenty-one years and more than 200 appearances later, he said goodbye to the national team as a world champion and Argentina's record-holder. So what did the football legend's international career look like in numbers?

208 - Appearances Messi made for the national team, the most in Argentina's history. Javier Mascherano is second with 147 caps.

126 - Goals he scored in an Argentina shirt. He is also the record-holder in this regard, with second-placed Gabriel Batistuta having scored 56.

69 - Assists he provided, while Angel Di Maria is second with 32.

113 - Appearances he made for the national team alongside Di Maria, his most frequent teammate.

34 - World Cup matches he played. He is seven games clear of second-placed Cristiano Ronaldo.

3,055 - Minutes he spent on the pitch at the World Cup, averaging just short of 90 minutes per match.

27 - World Cup matches he played as captain, another record. 

23 - World Cup matches he won - six more than second-placed Kylian Mbappe.

21 - World Cup goals he scored, with only Mbappe ahead of him on 22. Messi also has 12 assists, the most of any player. 

6 - World Cups he took part in - from Germany 2006 to the 2026 tournament in the USA, Canada and Mexico. No one has played in more.

3 - World Cup finals he has played in, a tally matched only by Brazil's Cafu.

2 - World Cup finals (2010 and 2026) he lost, while he became world champion once, in 2022.

39 - Copa America matches he played

16 - Player of the Match awards he won at the World Cup, plus 14 at the Copa America.

6 - Trophies he won on the international stage — the FIFA U-20 World Cup (2005), the Olympics (2008), Copa America (2021 and 2024), the World Cup (2022) and the Finalissima (2022).