By the numbers: A look at Lionel Messi’s 21 years with Argentina

By: Steve Douglas, The Associated Press Posted: 12:38 PM CDT Monday, Aug. 31, 2026

Lionel Messi has graced a soccer field with Argentina for the last time.

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Lionel Messi has graced a soccer field with Argentina for the last time.

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Lionel Messi has graced a soccer field with Argentina for the last time.

Arguably the greatest player of all time, Messi announced his retirement from the international game on Monday to bring an end to 21 years of service for his country.

Here’s a by-the-numbers look at his time at the Albiceleste:

FILE - Argentina's Lionel Messi celebrates at the end of the World Cup quarterfinal soccer match against the Netherlands in Lusail, Qatar, Dec. 10, 2022. (AP Photo/Ricardo Mazalan, File)

Messi won the World Cup once, in Qatar in 2022. He also reached the final two other times — in 2014 and 2026 when losing to Germany and Spain, respectively.

The number of World Cups in which Messi played (2006, 2010, 2014, 2018, 2022 and 2026), which is tied for the most with long-time rival Cristiano Ronaldo.

Messi scored 21 goals across those six World Cups. That is second only to France’s Kylian Mbappé, who has 22 and has played in just three tournaments.

Messi was aged 39 when he announced his international retirement — 21 years after making his debut for Argentina in a friendly against Hungary in August 2005. He barely lasted a minute of that game before getting sent off for elbowing an opponent.

125

Messi scored 125 international goals and that’s more than double the amount netted by any other Argentina player. The previous record was held by Gabriel Batistuta, who scored 54 in 78 appearances from 1991-2002. It is, though, second to Cristiano Ronaldo (146 goals) in the all-time scoring list in men’s international soccer.

207

The total number of international appearances by Messi, which also is a national record but not an all-time record in men’s football. Once again, he’s No. 2 in the list behind Cristiano Ronaldo, who has played 233 games for Portugal.

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See AP’s full soccer coverage here