Career of Lionel Messi
Argentine footballing career From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Lionel Messi is an Argentine professional footballer who plays as a forward for and captains both Major League Soccer club Inter Miami and the Argentina national team. His individual achievements include eight Ballon d'Or awards, the most for any footballer. Having won 45 team trophies,[note 1] he is the most decorated player in the history of professional football.[11] Messi is often hailed as a genius, with his prolific goalscoring ability and high level dribbling, passing and playmaking earning him recognition as one of the greatest and most iconic players in football history. In 2024, US-based sports company ESPN named Messi the greatest player of the 21st-century.[12]
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Lionel Messi at Barcelona (left), where he spent the majority of his club career, and with Argentina (right), who he represents internationally.
Messi's club career began with Barcelona, where he rose through the youth ranks, making his first-team debut in 2004. Over the next years, Messi became the club's all-time top scorer, amassing numerous domestic and international accolades. During his tenure, Barcelona secured ten La Liga titles, seven Copa del Reys, four UEFA Champions Leagues, seven Supercopa de Españas, three UEFA Super Cups, and three FIFA Club World Cups. In August 2021, due to financial constraints faced by Barcelona, Messi signed for Paris Saint-Germain (PSG). Joining forces with fellow superstars Neymar and Kylian Mbappé, he won two Ligue 1 titles and one Trophée des Champions. In July 2023, Messi joined Inter Miami, leading the team to win their first-ever trophies with the Leagues Cup and the Supporters' Shield.
On the international stage, Messi made his debut with Argentina's senior national football team in 2005, and would represent the country in five FIFA World Cups, seven Copa Américas, and one Finalissima. Initially facing criticism for not winning major tournaments with the senior national team, Messi broke Argentina's 28-year international trophy drought by captaining the team to victory in the 2021 Copa América, the 2022 Finalissima, the 2022 FIFA World Cup, and the 2024 Copa América.
Club career
Summarize
Perspective
Barcelona
2004–2005: Rise to the first team
During the 2004–05 season, Lionel Messi was a guaranteed starter for the Barcelona B team, playing 17 games throughout the campaign and scoring six goals.[13][14] Since his debut in the friendly against Porto the previous November, he had not been called up to the first team again, but in October 2004, the senior players asked manager Frank Rijkaard to promote him.[13] Since Ronaldinho already played on the left wing, Rijkaard moved Messi from his usual position onto the right flank (though initially against the player's wishes), allowing him to cut into the centre of the pitch and shoot with his dominant left foot.[15][16]
Messi made his La Liga debut with Barcelona's senior team during the next match on 16 October, against Espanyol at Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys in Montjuïc, coming on in the 82nd minute.[17] At 17 years, three months, and 22 days old, he was at the time the youngest player to represent Barcelona in an official competition.[18] As a substitute player, he played 244 minutes in nine matches for the first team that season, including his debut in the UEFA Champions League against Shakhtar Donetsk.[14] He scored his first senior goal on 1 May 2005, in a 2–0 home win against Albacete, from an assist by Ronaldinho, becoming – at that time – the youngest-ever scorer for the club.[15][19] Barcelona, in their second season under Rijkaard, won the league for the first time in six years.[20]
2005–2006: Becoming a starting eleven player
"In my entire life I have never seen a player of such quality and personality at such a young age, particularly wearing the 'heavy' shirt of one of the world's great clubs."
On 24 June, his 18th birthday, Messi signed his first contract as a senior team player. It made him a Barcelona player until 2010, two years less than his previous contract, but his buyout clause increased to €150 million.[22] His breakthrough came two months later, on 24 August, during the Joan Gamper Trophy, Barcelona's pre-season competition. A starter for the first time, he gave a well-received performance against Fabio Capello's Juventus, receiving an ovation from the Camp Nou.[21] Capello sought to take Messi to Juventus on loan, but Inter Milan offered to pay his €150 million buyout clause and triple his wages.[23] According to then-president Joan Laporta, it was the only time the club faced a real risk of losing Messi, but he ultimately decided to stay.[24] On 16 September, his contract was updated for the second time in three months and extended to 2014.[22][25]
Due to issues regarding his legal status in the Royal Spanish Football Federation, Messi missed the start of La Liga, but on 26 September, he acquired Spanish citizenship and became eligible to play.[25][26] Wearing the number 19 shirt, he gradually established himself as the first-choice right winger, forming an attacking trio with Ronaldinho and striker Samuel Eto'o.[27][28] Barcelona began the 2005–06 season by winning the Supercopa de España against Real Betis without Messi, who was not selected to participate in the competition.[9] He was in the starting line-up in major matches like his first Clásico against rivals Real Madrid, a 3–0 away victory on 19 November, as well as Barcelona's 2–1 away victory over Chelsea in the last-16 round of the Champions League,[29][30] which came on back of an intense period of rivalry between the clubs leading a resentful Messi to state, "We would rather play Arsenal, Manchester United or anyone else than be on the pitch with Chelsea."[31]
After he had scored 8 goals in 25 games, including his first in the Champions League,[32] in a 5–0 home win over Panathinaikos on 2 November 2005,[33] his season ended prematurely during the return leg against Chelsea on 7 March 2006, when he suffered a torn hamstring. Messi worked to regain fitness in time for the 2006 Champions League final, but on 17 May, the day of the final, he was eventually ruled out. He was so disappointed that he did not celebrate his team's 2–1 victory over Arsenal in Paris, something he later came to regret.[30][34]
2006–2008: Improving form amid club decline
While Barcelona began a gradual decline, the 19-year-old Messi established himself as one of the best players in the world during the 2006–07 campaign.[35][36] Already an idol to the culés, the club's supporters, he scored 17 goals in 36 games across all competitions.[36][37] However, he continued to be plagued by major injuries; a metatarsal fracture sustained on 12 November 2006 kept him out of action for three months.[38][39] He recovered in time for the last-16 round of the Champions League against Liverpool, but was effectively marked out of the game; Barcelona, the reigning champions, were out of the competition.[40] In the league, his goal contribution increased towards the end of the season; 11 of his 14 goals came from the last 13 games.[37] On 10 March 2007, he scored his first hat-trick in a Clásico, the first player to do so in 12 years, equalising after each goal by Real Madrid to end the match in a 3–3 home draw in injury time.[41] His growing importance to the club was reflected in a new contract, signed that month, which greatly increased his wages.[42]
Already frequently compared to compatriot Diego Maradona, Messi proved their similarity when he nearly replicated Maradona's two most famous goals in the span of seven weeks.[43] During the Copa del Rey semi-final first leg against Getafe at home on 18 April, he scored a goal remarkably similar to Maradona's second goal in the quarter-final of the 1986 FIFA World Cup against England, known as the Goal of the Century. Messi collected the ball on the right side near the halfway line, ran 60 metres (66 yd), and beat five defenders before scoring with an angled finish, just as Maradona had done.[44][45] A league match against Espanyol on 9 June saw him score by launching himself at the ball and guiding it past the goalkeeper with his hand in similar fashion to Maradona's Hand of God goal in the same World Cup match.[46] As Messi continued his individual rise, Barcelona faltered; the team failed to reach the Copa del Rey final after Messi was rested during the second leg against Getafe and lost the league to Real Madrid on head-to-head results.[47][48]
After Ronaldinho lost form, Messi became Barça's new star player at only 20 years old, receiving the nickname "Messiah" from the Spanish media.[44][49][50] His efforts in 2007 also earned him award recognition; journalists voted him the third-best player of the year for the 2007 Ballon d'Or, behind Kaká and runner-up Cristiano Ronaldo, while international managers and national team captains voted him second for the FIFA World Player of the Year award, again behind Kaká.[51][52] Although he managed to score 16 goals during the 2007–08 campaign,[53] the second half of his season was again marred by injuries after he suffered a torn hamstring on 15 December.[54] He returned to score twice in their 3–2 away victory against Celtic in the last-16 round of the Champions League, becoming the competition's top scorer at that point with six goals,[55] but reinjured himself during the return leg on 4 March 2008. Rijkaard had fielded him despite warning from the medical staff, leading captain Carles Puyol to criticise the Spanish media for pressuring Messi to play every match.[54] Barcelona finished the season without trophies, eliminated in the Champions League semi-finals by the eventual champions, Manchester United, and placed third in the league.[56]
2008–2009: First treble
After two unsuccessful seasons, Barcelona were in need of an overhaul, leading to the departure of Rijkaard and Ronaldinho. Upon the latter's departure, Messi was given the number 10 shirt.[28] He signed a new contract in July with an annual salary of €7.8 million, becoming the club's highest-paid player.[57][58] Ahead of the new season, a major concern remained his frequent muscular injuries, which had left him side-lined for a total of eight months between 2006 and 2008. To combat the problem, the club implemented new training, nutrition, and lifestyle regimens, and assigned him a personal physiotherapist, who would travel with him during call-ups for the Argentina national team. As a result, Messi remained virtually injury-free during the next four years, allowing him to reach his full potential.[39][59] Despite his injuries early in the year, his performances in 2008 saw him again voted runner-up for the Ballon d'Or and the FIFA World Player of the Year award, both times behind Cristiano Ronaldo.[51][60]
In his first uninterrupted campaign, the 2008–09 season, he scored 38 goals in 51 games, contributing alongside Eto'o and winger Thierry Henry to a total of 100 goals in all competitions, a record at the time for the club.[61][62] During his first season under Barcelona's new manager, former captain Pep Guardiola, Messi played mainly on the right wing, like he had under Rijkaard, though this time as a false winger with the freedom to cut inside and roam the centre. During the Clásico on 2 May 2009, however, he played for the first time as a false nine, positioned as a centre-forward but dropping deep into midfield to link up with Xavi and Andrés Iniesta. He assisted his side's first goal and scored twice to end the match in an emphatic 6–2 victory, the team's greatest-ever score at Real Madrid's Santiago Bernabéu Stadium.[63][64] Returning to the wing, he played his first final since breaking into the first team on 13 May, scoring once and assisting a second goal as Barcelona defeated Athletic Bilbao 4–1 at the Mestalla Stadium in the 2009 Copa del Rey final.[65] With 23 league goals from Messi that season, Barcelona became La Liga champions three days later and achieved its fifth double.[61][66]
As the season's Champions League top scorer with nine goals, the youngest in the tournament's history,[67] Messi scored two goals and assisted one more to ensure a 4–0 quarter-final first leg victory at home over Bayern Munich on 8 April.[63] He returned as a false nine during the 2009 Champions League final on 27 May in Rome at the Stadio Olimpico against defending champions Manchester United. Barcelona were crowned champions of Europe by winning the match 2–0, the second goal coming from a Messi header over goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar. Barcelona thus achieved the first treble in the history of Spanish football.[68] This success was reflected in a new contract, signed on 18 September, which committed Messi to the club through 2016 with a new buyout clause of €250 million, while his salary increased to €12 million.[57]
2009–2010: First Ballon d'Or
The team's prosperity continued into the second half of 2009, as Barcelona became the first club in history to achieve the sextuple, winning six top-tier trophies in a single year.[69] After victories in the Supercopa de España and UEFA Super Cup in August, Barcelona won their first ever FIFA Club World Cup against Estudiantes de La Plata at the Zayed Sports City Stadium on 19 December, with Messi scoring the winning 2–1 goal in the 2009 FIFA Club World Cup final with his chest in extra time.[70] At 22 years old, Messi won the Ballon d'Or and the FIFA World Player of the Year award, both times by the biggest voting margin in each trophy's history.[51]
"Messi is the best player in the world by some distance. He's [like] a PlayStation. He can take advantage of every mistake we make."
The new year, however, started on a less positive note for Barcelona, as they were knocked out of the Copa del Rey round of 16 by Sevilla.[72] Unsatisfied with his position on the right wing – with the club's summer acquisition Zlatan Ibrahimović occupying the central forward role – Messi resumed playing as a false nine in early 2010, beginning with a Champions League last-16 round match against VfB Stuttgart. After a first leg draw, Barcelona won the second leg at home 4–0 with two goals from Messi. At that point, he effectively became the tactical focal point of Guardiola's team, and his goalscoring rate increased.[73] Messi scored all of his side's four goals in the Champions League quarter-final second leg against Arsenal in a 4–1 home victory on 6 April while becoming Barcelona's all-time top scorer in the competition.[74] Although Barcelona were eliminated in the Champions League semi-finals by the eventual champions, Inter Milan, Messi finished the season as top scorer (with 8 goals) for the second consecutive year.[75] He scored a total of 47 goals in all competitions that season, equalling Ronaldo's club record from the 1996–97 campaign.[76][77] As the league's top scorer with 34 goals (again tying Ronaldo's record), he helped Barcelona win a second consecutive La Liga trophy with only a single defeat and earned his first European Golden Shoe.[77][78]
2010–2011: Fifth La Liga title, third Champions League, and second Ballon d'Or
Messi secured Barcelona's first trophy of the 2010–11 campaign, the Supercopa de España, by scoring a hat-trick in his side's second leg 4–0 home victory over Sevilla, after a first leg 3–1 defeat.[79] Assuming a playmaking role, he was again instrumental in a Clásico on 29 November 2010, the first with José Mourinho in charge of Real Madrid, as Barcelona defeated their rivals 5–0 at home with two assists from Messi.[80] He helped the team achieve 16 consecutive league victories, a record in Spanish football, concluding with another hat-trick against Atlético Madrid in a 3–0 home win on 5 February 2011.[81][82] Messi’s club performances in 2010 earned him the inaugural FIFA Ballon d'Or, an amalgamation of the Ballon d'Or and the FIFA World Player of the Year award, though his win was met with some criticism due to his lack of success with Argentina at the 2010 FIFA World Cup.[51][83] Under the award's old format, he would have placed just outside the top three, owing his win to the votes from the international coaches and captains.[83]
Towards the end of the season, Barcelona played four Clásicos in the span of 18 days. A league match on 16 April ended in a 1–1 away draw after a penalty from Messi. After Barcelona lost the Copa del Rey final four days later, Messi scored both goals in his side's 2–0 win in the first leg of the Champions League semi-finals in Madrid, the second of which – a slaloming dribble past three Real players – was acclaimed as one of the best ever in the competition.[84] Although he did not score, he was again important in the second leg 1–1 draw that sent Barcelona through to the 2011 Champions League final in London,[85][86] where they faced Manchester United in a repeat of the final two years earlier. As the competition's top scorer for the third consecutive year, with 12 goals, Messi gave a man-of-the-match performance at Wembley Stadium on 28 May, scoring the match-winning goal of Barça's 3–1 victory.[87][88] Barcelona won a third consecutive La Liga title. In addition to his 31 goals, Messi was also the league's joint top assist provider with 18 assists.[89][90] He finished the season with 53 goals in all competitions, becoming Barcelona's all-time single-season top scorer and the first player in Spanish football history to reach the 50-goal benchmark.[89][91]
2011–2012: Record-breaking season, third Ballon d'Or, and Barcelona's all-time goalscorer
As Messi developed into a combination of a number 8 (a creator), a 9 (scorer), and a 10 (assistant),[92] he scored an unprecedented 73 goals and provided 30 assists in all club competitions during the 2011–12 season, producing a hat-trick or more on 10 occasions.[93][94][95] He began the campaign by helping Barcelona win both the Spanish and European Super Cups. In the Supercopa de España, Messi scored three times, including the winning 3–2 goal in the second leg at home, to achieve a 5–4 aggregate victory over Real Madrid, overtaking Raúl as the competition's all-time top scorer with eight goals.[96][97] In the UEFA Super Cup on 26 August, Messi scored the opening goal and assisted the second as Barcelona defeated last season’s Europa League champions Porto 2–0 at the Stade Louis II. At the close of the year, on 18 December at the International Stadium Yokohama, Messi scored twice in the 2011 FIFA Club World Cup final, a 4–0 victory over Santos, earning the Golden Ball as the best player of the tournament, as he had done two years previously.[98] For his efforts in 2011, he again received the FIFA Ballon d'Or, becoming only the fourth player in history to win the Ballon d'Or three times, after Johan Cruyff, Michel Platini, and Marco van Basten.[99] Additionally, he won the inaugural UEFA Best Player in Europe Award, a revival of the old-style Ballon d'Or.[100] By then, Messi was already widely considered one of the best footballers in history, alongside players like Diego Maradona and Pelé.[101]
"I feel sorry for those who want to compete for Messi's throne – it's impossible, this kid is unique."
– Pep Guardiola after Messi became Barcelona's all-time top scorer at the age of 24 in March 2012[102]
As Messi maintained his goalscoring form into the second half of the season, the year 2012 saw him break several longstanding records. On 7 March, two weeks after scoring four goals in a 5–1 home league win against Valencia, he scored five times in the Champions League last-16 round second leg against Bayer Leverkusen in a 7–1 home victory, an unprecedented achievement in the history of the competition.[103][104] Two weeks later, on 20 March, Messi became the top goalscorer in Barcelona's history at 24 years old with 234 goals, overtaking the 57-year record of César Rodríguez's 232 goals with a hat-trick against Granada in a 5–3 home win.[105] On 3 April, he scored two penalties in the quarter-final second leg against AC Milan in a 3–1 home victory, becoming the youngest player in history to score 50 goals in the Champions League.[106] In addition to being the joint top assist provider with five assists, this feat made him top scorer with 14 goals, tying José Altafini's single-season record from the 1962–63 season, as well as becoming only the second player after Gerd Müller to be top scorer in four campaigns.[107]
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Despite Messi's individual form, Barcelona's four-year cycle of success under Guardiola – one of the greatest eras in the club's history – drew to an end.[108] Although Barcelona won the 2012 Copa del Rey final 3–0 against Athletic Bilbao on 25 May, its 14th title of that period, the team lost the league to Real Madrid and was eliminated in the Champions League semi-finals by the eventual champions, Chelsea, with Messi sending a crucial second leg penalty kick against the crossbar.[109][110] In Barça's last home league match on 5 May, against Espanyol, Messi scored all four goals in a 4–0 win before approaching the bench to embrace Guardiola, who had announced his resignation as manager.[111] He finished the season as league top scorer in Spain and Europe for a second time, with 50 goals, a La Liga record, while his 73 goals in all competitions surpassed Gerd Müller's 67 goals in the 1972–73 Bundesliga season, making him the single-season top scorer in the history of European club football.[112][113]
2012–2013: Record-breaking calendar year, fourth Ballon d'Or, and Messidependencia
Under manager Tito Vilanova, who had first coached him aged 14 at La Masia, Messi helped the club achieve its best-ever start to a La Liga season during the second half of 2012, amassing 55 points by the competition's midway point, a record in Spanish football.[114] A double scored on 9 December in a 2–1 away win against Real Betis saw Messi break two longstanding records: he surpassed César Rodríguez's record of 190 league goals, becoming Barcelona's all-time top scorer in La Liga, and Gerd Müller's record of most goals scored in a calendar year, overtaking his 85 goals scored in 1972 for Bayern Munich and West Germany.[115] Messi sent Müller a number 10 Barcelona shirt, signed "with respect and admiration", after breaking his 40-year record.[116]
At the close of the year, Messi had scored a record 91 goals in all competitions for Barcelona and Argentina.[117] Although FIFA did not acknowledge the achievement, citing verifiability issues, he received the Guinness World Records title for most goals scored in a calendar year.[118][119] As the odds-on favourite, Messi again won the FIFA Ballon d'Or, becoming the first player in history to win the Ballon d'Or four times.[117][120]
Barcelona had virtually secured their La Liga title by the start of 2013, eventually equalling Real Madrid's 100-point record of the previous season. However, their performances deteriorated in the second half of the 2012–13 campaign, concurrently with Vilanova's absence due to ill health.[121] After losing successive Clásicos, including the Copa del Rey semi-finals, they were nearly eliminated in the first knockout round of the Champions League by AC Milan, but a revival of form in the second leg at home led to a 4–0 comeback, with two goals from Messi.[122] Now in his ninth senior season with Barcelona, Messi signed a new contract on 7 February, committing himself to the club through 2018, while his fixed wage rose to €13 million.[123][124] He wore the captain's armband for the first time a month later, on 17 March, in a 3–1 home league win against Rayo Vallecano; by then, he had become the team's tactical focal point to a degree that was arguably rivalled only by former Barcelona players Josep Samitier, László Kubala and Johan Cruyff.[125] Since his evolution into a false nine three years earlier, his input into the team's attack had increased; from 24% in their treble-winning campaign, his goal contribution rose to more than 40% that season.[126]
"In Leo we are talking about the best player in the world and when things are not going well you have to use him. Even if he is half lame, his presence on the pitch is enough to lift us and our play in general."
– Defender Gerard Piqué explains Barcelona's reliance on an unfit Messi against Paris Saint-Germain in April 2013.[127]
After four largely injury-free seasons, the muscular injuries that had previously plagued Messi reoccurred. After he suffered a hamstring strain on 2 April, during the first quarter-final against Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) at the Parc des Princes, his appearances became sporadic. In the second leg against PSG at home, with an underperforming Barcelona down a goal, Messi came off the bench in the second half and within nine minutes helped create their game-tying goal, which allowed them to progress to the semi-finals. Still unfit, he proved ineffective during the first leg against Bayern Munich and was unable to play at all during the second leg at home, as Barcelona were defeated 7–0 on aggregate by the eventual champions.[128] These matches gave credence to the notion of Messidependencia, Barcelona's perceived tactical and psychological dependence on their star player.[128]
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Messi continued to struggle with injury throughout 2013, eventually parting ways with his long-time personal physiotherapist.[129] Further damage to his hamstring sustained on 12 May ended his goalscoring streak of 21 consecutive league games, a worldwide record; he had netted 33 goals during his run, including a four-goal display against Osasuna on 27 January in a 5–1 home win, and on 30 March, he became the first player ever to score consecutively against all 19 opposition teams in La Liga, with a goal in a 2–2 away draw against Celta Vigo.[130][131] With 60 goals in all competitions, including 46 goals in La Liga, he finished the campaign as league top scorer in Spain and Europe for the second consecutive year, becoming the first player in history to win the European Golden Shoe three times.[132][133]
2013–2014: Continued injuries and club decline
Following an irregular start to the 2013–14 season under manager Gerardo Martino, formerly of his boyhood club Newell's Old Boys, Messi scored a hat-trick in a 4–0 home win against Ajax on 18 September in Barcelona’s opening match of the Champions League, before suffering his fifth injury of 2013 when he tore his hamstring on 10 November, leaving him sidelined for two months.[134][135] Despite his injuries, he was voted runner-up for the FIFA Ballon d'Or, relinquishing the award after a four-year monopoly to Cristiano Ronaldo.[136]
During the second half of the 2013–14 season, doubts persisted over Messi's form, leading to a perception among the culés that he was reserving himself for the 2014 FIFA World Cup. Statistically, his contribution of goals, shots, and passes had dropped significantly compared to previous seasons.[137][138] He still managed to break two longstanding records in a span of seven days: a hat-trick on 16 March against Osasuna in a 7–0 home win saw him overtake Paulino Alcántara's 369 goals to become Barcelona's top goalscorer in all competitions including friendlies, while another hat-trick against Real Madrid on 23 March in a 4–3 win at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium made him the all-time top scorer in El Clásico, ahead of the 18 goals scored by former Real Madrid player Alfredo Di Stéfano.[137][139]
Messi finished the campaign with his worst output in five seasons, though he still managed to score 41 goals in all competitions.[138][140] For the first time in five years, Barcelona ended the season without a major trophy; they were defeated in the 2014 Copa del Rey final by Real Madrid and lost the league in the last game to Atlético Madrid, causing Messi to be booed by sections of fans at the Camp Nou.[141] After prolonged speculation over his future with the club, Messi signed a new contract on 19 May 2014, only a year after his last contractual update; his salary increased to €20 million, or €36 million before taxes, the highest wage in the sport.[142] It was reported that Vilanova played a key role in convincing Messi to stay[143] amid strong interest from José Mourinho's Chelsea.[144]
2014–2015: Birth of MSN and second treble
Under new manager and former captain Luis Enrique, Messi experienced a largely injury-free start to the 2014–15 season, allowing him to break three more longstanding records towards the end of the year.[145] A hat-trick scored against Sevilla on 22 November in a 5–1 home win made him the all-time top scorer in La Liga with 253 goals, as he surpassed the 59-year record of 251 league goals held by Telmo Zarra.[146] A third hat-trick, scored against city rivals Espanyol on 7 December in a 5–1 home win, allowed him to surpass César Rodríguez as the all-time top scorer in the Derbi Barceloní with 12 goals.[147] Messi again placed second in the FIFA Ballon d'Or behind Cristiano Ronaldo, largely owing to his second-place achievement with Argentina at the World Cup.[148]
At the start of 2015, Barcelona were perceived to be headed for another disappointing end to the season, with renewed speculation in the media that Messi was leaving the club. A turning point came on 11 January during a 3–1 home victory over Atlético Madrid, the first time Barça's attacking trident of Messi, Luis Suárez and Neymar, dubbed "MSN", each scored in a match, marking the beginning of a highly successful run.[149][150] After five years of playing in the centre of the pitch, Messi had returned to his old position on the right wing late the previous year, by his own suggestion according to Suárez, their striker.[150][151] From there, he regained his best form, while Suárez and Neymar ended the team's attacking dependency on their star player.[152][153] Luis Enrique's system would feature quick transitions from defense to attack led by the attacking trio, who would break goalscoring records.[154] With 58 goals from Messi, the trio scored a total of 122 goals in all competitions that season, a record in Spanish football.[155]
Towards the end of the campaign, Messi scored in a 1–0 away win over Atlético Madrid on 17 May, securing the La Liga title.[156] Among his 43 league goals that season was a hat-trick scored in 12 minutes against Rayo Vallecano on 8 March in a 6–1 home win, the fastest of his senior career; it was his 32nd hat-trick overall for Barcelona, allowing him to overtake Telmo Zarra with the most hat-tricks in Spanish football.[157] As the league's top assist provider with 18 assists, he surpassed Luís Figo with the most assists in La Liga;[note 2] he made his record 106th assist in a 5–0 home win against Levante on 15 February, in which he also scored a hat-trick.[158][159][160] Messi scored twice as Barcelona defeated Athletic Bilbao 3–1 in the 2015 Copa del Rey final on 30 May, achieving the sixth double in their history. His opening goal was hailed as one of the greatest in his career; he collected the ball near the halfway line and beat four opposing players, before feinting the goalkeeper to score in a tight space by the near post.[161]
In the Champions League, on 6 May, Messi scored twice and assisted another in their 3–0 semi-final home victory over last season’s Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich, now under the stewardship of Guardiola.[162] His second goal, which came only three minutes after his first, saw him chip the ball over goalkeeper Manuel Neuer after his dribble past Jérôme Boateng had made the defender drop to the ground; it went viral, becoming the year's most tweeted about sporting moment, and was named the best goal of the season by UEFA.[163][164] Despite a second leg loss, Barcelona progressed to the 2015 Champions League final on 6 June in Berlin at the Olympiastadion, where they defeated Juventus 3–1 to win their second treble, becoming the first team in history to do so.[165][166] Although Messi did not score, he participated in each of his side's goals, particularly the second as he forced a parried save from goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon from which Suárez scored the match-winning goal on the rebound.[155] In addition to being the top assist provider with six assists, Messi finished the competition as the joint top scorer with ten goals, which earned him the distinction of being the first player ever to achieve the top scoring mark in five Champions League seasons.[167][168] For his efforts during the season, he received the UEFA Best Player in Europe award for a second time.[169]
2015–2016: Domestic success and fifth Ballon d'Or
On 11 August, Messi opened the 2015–16 season by scoring twice from free kicks in Barcelona's 5–4 victory (after extra time) over last season’s Europa League champions Sevilla in the UEFA Super Cup at the Boris Paichadze Dinamo Arena.[170] On 16 September, he became the youngest player to make 100 appearances in the UEFA Champions League in a 1–1 away draw against Roma.[171] After a knee injury, he returned to the pitch on 21 November, making a substitute appearance in Barcelona's 4–0 away league win over rivals Real Madrid in El Clásico.[172] Messi capped off the year by winning the 2015 FIFA Club World Cup final on 20 December, scoring the opening goal and collecting his fifth club trophy of 2015 as Barcelona defeated River Plate 3–0 in Yokohama.[173] On 30 December, Messi scored on his 500th appearance for Barcelona, in a 4–0 home win over Real Betis.[174]
On 11 January 2016, Messi won the FIFA Ballon d'Or for a record fifth time in his career.[175] On 3 February, he scored a hat-trick in Barcelona's 7–0 win against Valencia in the first leg of the Copa del Rey semi-final at the Camp Nou.[176] In a 6–1 home win against Celta Vigo in the league, Messi assisted Suárez from a penalty kick. Some saw it as "a touch of genius", while others criticised it as being disrespectful to the opponent. The Celta players never complained and their coach defended the penalty, stating, "Barca's forwards are very respectful." The penalty routine has been compared to that of Barça icon Johan Cruyff in 1982, who was battling lung cancer, leading many fans to indicate that the penalty was a tribute to him. Cruyff himself was "very happy" with the play, insisting "it was legal and entertaining".[177][178]
On 17 February, Messi reached his 300th league goal in a 3–1 away win against Sporting de Gijón.[179] A week later, he scored both goals in Barcelona's 2–0 away win against Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium, in the first leg of the 2015–16 UEFA Champions League round of 16, with the second goal being Barcelona's 10,000th in official competitions.[180] On 17 April, Messi ended a five-match scoring drought with his 500th senior career goal for club and country in Barcelona's 2–1 home loss to Valencia.[181] Messi finished the 2015–16 season by assisting both goals in Barcelona's 2–0 extra time win over Sevilla in the 2016 Copa del Rey final, at the Vicente Calderón Stadium, on 22 May 2016, as the club celebrated winning the domestic double for the second consecutive season.[182] In total, Messi scored 41 goals as Barcelona's attacking trio managed a Spanish record of 131 goals throughout the season, breaking the record they had set the previous season.[183]
2016–2017: Fourth Golden Boot
"[Messi] is indispensable, but the rest of us are dispensable. – No, the club is bigger than any manager, than any player... except Leo. That's the reality, and you have to accept it."
– In an interview with Barcelona's official magazine, Javier Mascherano outlines Messi's importance to the team.[184]
Messi opened the 2016–17 season by lifting the Supercopa de España as Barcelona's captain in the absence of the injured Andrés Iniesta;[185] he set-up Munir's goal in a 2–0 away win over Sevilla in the first leg on 14 August,[186] and subsequently scored in a 3–0 win in the return leg on 17 August.[187] Three days later, he scored two goals as Barcelona won 6–2 against Real Betis at home in the opening game of the 2016–17 La Liga season.[188] On 13 September, Messi scored his first hat-trick of the season in the opening game of the 2016–17 UEFA Champions League campaign against Celtic in a 7–0 home victory.[189] A week later, Messi sustained a groin injury in a 1–1 home draw against Atlético Madrid and was ruled out with injury for three weeks.[190] He marked his return with a goal, scoring three minutes after coming off the bench in a 4–0 home win over Deportivo de La Coruña, on 16 October.[191] Three days after this, he netted his thirty-seventh club hat-trick as Barcelona defeated Manchester City 4–0 at home; this was also Messi's seventh hat-trick in the Champions League, the most by any player.[192] On 1 November, Messi scored his 54th Champions League group stage goal in Barcelona's 3–1 away loss to Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium, surpassing the previous record of 53 goals held by Raúl.[193]
Messi finished the year with 51 goals, making him Europe's top scorer, one ahead of Zlatan Ibrahimović.[194] After placing second in the 2016 Ballon d'Or, on 9 January 2017 Messi also finished in second place – behind Cristiano Ronaldo once again – in the 2016 Best FIFA Men's Player Award.[195] On 11 January, Messi scored from a free kick in Barcelona's 3–1 home victory against Athletic Bilbao in the second leg of the round of 16 of the Copa del Rey, which enabled Barcelona to advance to the quarter-finals of the competition; with his 26th goal from a free kick for Barcelona in all competitions, he equalled the club's all-time record, which had previously been set by Ronald Koeman.[196] In his next league match, on 14 January, Messi scored in a 5–0 home win against Las Palmas; with this goal, he equalled Raúl's record for the most teams scored against in La Liga (35).[197]
On 4 February 2017, Messi scored his 27th free kick for Barcelona in a 3–0 home win over Athletic Bilbao in the league, overtaking Koeman as the club's all-time top scorer from free kicks.[198] On 23 April, Messi scored twice in a 3–2 away win over Real Madrid. His game-winning goal in stoppage time was his 500th for Barcelona.[199] His memorable celebration saw him taking off his Barcelona shirt and holding it up to incensed Real Madrid fans – with his name and number facing the crowd.[200] On 27 May, Messi scored a goal and assisted another for Paco Alcácer in the 2017 Copa del Rey final, helping Barcelona to a 3–1 victory over Alavés, and was named Man of the Match.[201] In total, Messi finished the 2016–17 season with 54 goals, while his 37 goals in La Liga saw him finish as the top scorer and claim both the Pichichi and European Golden Boot Awards for the fourth time in his career.[202] The attacking trio of Messi, Neymar and Suarez would combine for 110 goals by season's end. Neymar would depart for Paris Saint Germain the next season, leaving the attacking trio with a combined total of 363 goals over the course of three seasons.[203] Luis Enrique would also leave Barcelona at the end of the season after managing the club to a total of nine trophies during his three-year tenure.[204]
2017–2018: Domestic double and a record fifth Golden Boot
Messi opened the 2017–18 season by converting a penalty in Barcelona's 3–1 first leg home defeat to Real Madrid in the Supercopa de España.[205] Thereby, Messi also extended his El Clásico goalscoring record with the goal being his 24th official and 25th overall.[206] On 9 September, Messi scored his first hat-trick of the 2017–18 league campaign, against Espanyol in Derbi Barceloní, thus helping to secure a 5–0 home victory for Blaugrana over local rivals.[207] Messi netted twice against Gianluigi Buffon, on 12 September, as Barça defeated the last season's Serie A champions Juventus 3–0 at home in the UEFA Champions League.[208] On 19 September, Messi found the net four times in a 6–1 trashing of Eibar at the Camp Nou in La Liga.[209] Three weeks later, on 1 October, Messi surpassed his former teammate Carles Puyol to become the third-highest appearance maker in the club's history, as he helped Barça defeat Las Palmas 3–0 by assisting Sergio Busquets' opener and later adding two himself in his 594th official game for the club; the league game was played behind closed doors at the Camp Nou due to violence in Catalonia relating to an ongoing independence referendum.[210]
On 18 October, in his 122nd European club appearance, Messi scored his 97th UEFA Champions League goal, and his 100th in all UEFA club competitions, in a 3–1 home victory over Olympiacos.[211] Messi became only the second player after Cristiano Ronaldo to reach this century milestone, but accomplished it in 21 fewer appearances than the Portuguese counterpart.[212] On 4 November, he made his 600th appearance for Barcelona in a 2–1 home win over Sevilla in La Liga.[213] Following the reception of his fourth Golden Boot, Messi signed a new deal with Barcelona on 25 November, keeping him with the club through the 2020–21 season. His buyout clause was set at €700 million.[214] On 7 January 2018, Messi made his 400th La Liga appearance with Barcelona in a 3–0 home win over Levante, marking the occasion with his 144th league assist and 365th league goal for the club, the latter of which saw him equal Gerd Müller's record for the most league goals scored for the same club in one of Europe's top five divisions.[215] A week later, he broke the record, scoring his 366th La Liga goal from a free kick in a 4–2 away win against Real Sociedad.[215] On 24 February, Messi scored two goals in a 6–1 home win against Girona, becoming the first player ever to score against 36 different teams in La Liga, overtaking Raúl’s record.[216]
On 4 March, he scored his 600th senior career goal from a free kick in a 1–0 home win over Atlético Madrid, in La Liga.[217] On 14 March, Messi scored his 99th and 100th Champions League goals in the round of 16 second leg over last season’s Premier League champions Chelsea in a 3–0 home win, becoming only the second player after Cristiano Ronaldo to reach this landmark, in fewer appearances, at a younger age and having taken fewer shots than his Portuguese counterpart.[218] His opening goal, which came after only two minutes and eight seconds, was also the fastest of his career, as Barcelona advanced to the quarter-finals of the competition for the eleventh consecutive season.[219] On 7 April, he scored a hat-trick in a 3–1 home win over Leganés including his sixth goal scored from a free kick for the La Liga season, matching the record set by former teammate Ronaldinho.[220] On 10 April, Roma completed a comeback against Barcelona in the Champions League quarter final by overturning a 4–1 deficit to progress to the semi final with a 3–0 win at home.[221] On 21 April, Messi scored Barcelona's second goal – his 40th of the season – in a 5–0 win over Sevilla in the 2018 Copa del Rey final at the Metropolitano Stadium, later also assisting goals for Suárez and Iniesta; this was Barcelona's fourth consecutive title and their 30th overall.[222] On 29 April, Messi scored a hat-trick in a 4–2 away win over Deportivo de La Coruña, which saw Barcelona claim their 25th league title.[223] On 9 May, Messi scored as Barcelona defeated Villarreal 5–1 at home to set the longest unbeaten streak (43 games) in La Liga history.[224] Messi once again finished the season as the top scorer in La Liga, with 34 goals, which also saw him win his fifth European Golden Shoe award.[225] He also finished as the joint top assist provider in La Liga with 12 assists.[226]
2018–2019: Captaincy, 10th La Liga title, and a record sixth Golden Boot
With the departure of former captain Andrés Iniesta in May 2018, Messi was named the team's new captain for the following season.[227] On 12 August, he lifted his first title as Barcelona's captain, the Supercopa de España, following a 2–1 victory over Sevilla. The trophy was Messi’s 33rd for the club, surpassing Iniesta and making Messi the outright most decorated player in the history of Barcelona.[228] On 18 August, Messi scored twice in helping Barcelona defeat Alavés 3–0 at home in their first La Liga match of the season, with his first goal, a free kick that he rolled under the jumping Alavés wall, making history in being Barcelona's 6000th goal in La Liga.[229] On 18 September, Messi scored a hat-trick in a 4–0 home win over last season’s Eredivisie champions PSV Eindhoven in Barcelona's opening Champions League group stage match of the season, setting a new record for the most hat-tricks in the competition, with eight.[230] On 20 October, Messi scored in a 4–2 home win over Sevilla, but was later forced off in the 26th minute after falling awkwardly and injuring his right arm; tests later confirmed that he had fractured his radial bone, ruling him out for approximately three weeks.[231] On 8 December, Messi scored two free kicks – his ninth and tenth goals from set pieces during the calendar year – in a 4–0 away win over Derbi Barceloní rivals Espanyol in La Liga; this was the first time ever that he had managed such a feat in the league. His first goal was also his 10th league goal of the season, making him the first player ever to reach double figures in La Liga for 13 consecutive seasons.[232]
On 13 January 2019, Messi scored his 400th La Liga goal in his 435th league appearance in a 3–0 home win over Eibar, becoming the only player ever to manage this tally in just one of Europe's top five leagues.[233] On 2 February, Messi scored twice in a 2–2 home draw against Valencia, with his first goal coming from the penalty spot, his 50th La Liga penalty goal; as such, he became only the third player in La Liga history after Cristiano Ronaldo and Hugo Sánchez to score 50 penalties in the competition.[234] Later that month, the club admitted they had begun preparations for Messi's future retirement.[235] On 23 February, Messi scored the 50th hat-trick of his career and also provided an assist for Suárez, as he helped Barcelona come from behind to achieve a 4–2 away victory over Sevilla in La Liga; the third goal was also his 650th career goal for club and country at senior level.[236] On 30 March, Messi scored both goals in a 2–0 home win against Espanyol, becoming the first player in history to score 40 plus goals in 10 consecutive club seasons.[237] On 6 April, Messi scored the second goal in a 2–0 home victory against Atlético Madrid; the win was Messi’s 335th in La Liga, surpassing the previous record of 334 wins held by Iker Casillas.[238] On 16 April, Messi scored twice in a 3–0 home victory over Manchester United in the second leg of the Champions League quarter-finals to give Barcelona a 4–0 aggregate win, which saw Barcelona progress to the semi-finals of the competition for the first time since 2015; these were also his first goals in the Champions League quarter-finals since 2013.[239][240]
On 27 April, Messi came off the bench and scored the only goal in a 1–0 home win over Levante, which allowed Barcelona to clinch the league title;[241] this was his 450th La Liga appearance, and his first league title as Barcelona's captain.[242][243] The title win also saw Messi become the first Barcelona player to win ten La Liga titles.[244] On 1 May, Messi scored twice in a 3–0 home win over Liverpool in the first leg of the Champions League semi-finals; his second goal of the match, a 35-yard free kick, was the 600th senior club goal of his career, all of which had been scored with Barcelona.[245] In the return leg six days later at Anfield, Barcelona suffered a 4–0 away defeat, which saw Liverpool advance to the final 4–3 on aggregate, though Messi still finished the season as the top scorer with 12 goals.[246][247] On 19 May, in Barcelona's final La Liga match of the season, Messi scored twice in a 2–2 away draw against Eibar (his 49th and 50th goals of the season in all competitions), which saw him capture his sixth Pichichi Trophy as the league's top scorer, with 36 goals in 34 appearances; with six titles, he equalled Zarra as the player with the most top-scorer awards in La Liga.[248][249] He also captured his sixth European Golden Shoe award, and a record third consecutive award since the 2016–17 season.[250] In addition to being the top scorer, Messi was also the league’s joint top assist provider with 13 assists.[251] On 25 May, Messi scored his final goal of the season in a 2–1 defeat to Valencia in the 2019 Copa del Rey final.[252]
2019–2020: Record sixth Ballon d'Or
On 5 August 2019, it was announced that Messi would miss Barcelona's US tour after sustaining a right calf injury.[253] On 19 August, Messi's chipped goal from the edge of the box against Real Betis was nominated for the 2019 FIFA Puskás Award.[254] Later that month, he suffered another setback following the return of his calf injury, which ruled him out of the opening game of the season;[255] as a result, he was sidelined indefinitely, and was only expected to return to action with Barcelona after the September international break.[256] On 2 September, Messi was shortlisted as one of the three finalists for both the 2019 FIFA Puskás Award and the 2019 Best FIFA Men's Player Award, with Messi winning the latter on 23 September.[257][258]
Messi made his first appearance of the season on 17 September, and on 6 October he scored his first goal of the season with a free kick in a 4–0 home win over Sevilla; this was his 420th goal in La Liga, which saw him break Cristiano Ronaldo's record of 419 goals scored in Europe's top five leagues.[259] On 23 October, Messi scored his first Champions League goal of the season in a 2–1 away win over Slavia Prague, becoming the first player to score in 15 consecutive Champions League seasons (excluding qualifying rounds).[260] He also equalled Raúl and Cristiano Ronaldo's shared record of the most sides scored against in the competition (33).[261] On 29 October, Messi scored two goals in a 5–1 home win over Real Valladolid in La Liga; his first goal – a set piece from 35 yards – was the 50th free kick of his career.[262] His goals (608) also saw him overtake Cristiano Ronaldo's senior goal tally (606) at club level.[263] On 9 November, Messi scored three goals (including two free kicks) in a 4–1 home win against Celta Vigo. This was his 34th hat-trick in La Liga, equalling Cristiano Ronaldo's Spanish top-flight record.[264] On 27 November, in what was his 700th appearance for Barcelona, Messi scored one goal and assisted two more in a 3–1 home win over Borussia Dortmund in the UEFA Champions League. Dortmund were the 34th team he had scored against in the competition, breaking the previous record of 33 teams held by Cristiano Ronaldo and Raúl.[265] On 2 December, Messi was awarded a record-breaking sixth Ballon d'Or.[266] On 7 December, Messi scored his record-breaking 35th hat-trick in La Liga with three goals in Barcelona's 5–2 home win over Mallorca.[267]
On 9 January 2020, Messi scored an equaliser in a 3–2 defeat to Atlético Madrid at the King Abdullah Sports City Stadium in the 2020 Supercopa de España semi-final. On 22 February, he scored four goals in a 5–0 home win over Eibar in La Liga.[268] On 14 June, he scored in a 4–0 away win against Mallorca, becoming the first player ever in La Liga to score 20 goals or more in 12 consecutive seasons.[269] On 30 June, Messi scored a panenka in a 2–2 home draw against Atlético Madrid in La Liga, to reach his 700th goal in his senior career for Barcelona and Argentina.[270] On 11 July, Messi provided his 20th assist of the league season for Arturo Vidal in a 1–0 away win over Real Valladolid, equalling Xavi's record of 20 assists in a single La Liga season from the 2008–09 campaign;[271][272] with 22 goals, he also became only the second player ever, after Thierry Henry in the 2002–03 FA Premier League season with Arsenal (24 goals and 20 assists), to record at least 20 goals and 20 assists in a single league season in one of Europe's top five leagues.[272][273] Following his brace and assist in a 5–0 away win against Alavés in the final league match of the season on 19 July, Messi finished the season as both the top scorer and top assist provider in La Liga for the third consecutive year, with 25 goals and 21 assists respectively, which saw him win his record seventh Pichichi Trophy, overtaking Zarra, and surpass Xavi’s single-season assist record; however, Barcelona missed out on the league title to Real Madrid.[274] On 8 August, in the Champions League round of 16 second leg versus Napoli at the Camp Nou, Messi scored the second goal and earned a penalty which led to a third goal, leading his side to a 3–1 home victory and qualifying 4–2 on aggregate for the quarter-final against Bayern Munich.[275] On 14 August, Messi suffered his worst defeat as a player as eventual champions Bayern Munich beat Barcelona 8–2 in a one-off tie in Lisbon, leading to another disappointing exit from the Champions League.[276]
August 2020: Desire to leave Barcelona
"I wasn't happy and I wanted to leave. I have not been allowed this in any way and I will stay at the club so as not to get into a legal dispute. The management of the club led by Bartomeu is a disaster. My love for Barça will never change."
Following growing dissatisfaction with the direction of Barcelona on and off the field,[278] Barcelona announced that Messi sent the club "a document expressing his desire to leave" on 25 August 2020.[279] The announcement garnered a significant media response, including from current and former teammates (who supported Messi's statement) and Catalan President Quim Torra.[280] On 26 August, Barcelona's sporting director Ramon Planes iterated the club's desire to "build a team around the most important player in the world"[281] and affirmed Messi will only be able to leave should a buyer pay his €700 million buyout clause; a reported early termination option available in Messi's contract (which would have allowed him to leave the club for free) could only be exercised if he had communicated his decision to Barcelona by 31 May 2020, although the player's representatives argued the deadline should be set to 31 August, due to the adjourned 2019–20 season.[282] On 30 August, La Liga issued a statement stating Messi's contract and buyout clause were still active.[283]
On 4 September, Jorge Messi, Lionel's father and agent, released a statement in response to La Liga claiming the release clause "is not valid when the termination of the contract is by the player's unilateral decision from the end of the 2019–20 season", as stated in Messi's contract with Barcelona;[284] moments later, La Liga issued a response reiterating their statement published on 30 August.[285] Later that evening, Messi announced in an interview with Goal that he would continue at Barcelona for the final year of his contract. In the interview, Messi claimed to have informed Barcelona of his desire to leave multiple times, and club president Josep Maria Bartomeu said Messi could decide at the end of every season if he wanted to stay or leave, only for Bartomeu to refer to the release clause.[286] This left Messi with two options: to stay or go to court against the club, with the player saying "I would never go to court against the club of my life".[287]
2020–2021: Final season at Barcelona
On 27 September, Messi began the 2020–21 season by scoring a penalty in a 4–0 home win against Villarreal in La Liga.[288] Two days prior to the opening game, he again criticised the club, this time for the manner of Luis Suárez's departure, stating, "at this stage nothing surprises me any more".[289] On 20 October, Messi scored a penalty in a 5–1 home victory against Ferencváros in the Champions League, becoming the first player to score in 16 consecutive Champions League seasons.[290] On 25 November, Messi was nominated for the 2020 Best FIFA Men's Player award, and was later shortlisted as one of the final three candidates.[291][292] On 29 November, Messi scored his side's fourth goal in their 4–0 home victory over Osasuna. After scoring, he unveiled a shirt of his former side Newell's Old Boys, in tribute to Argentine compatriot Diego Maradona, who had died four days earlier, and raised both hands to the screen showing Maradona's face in the stadium. The shirt was a number 10 replica of the same one Maradona had worn during his stint with the club in 1993.[293] On 17 December, Messi finished third in The Best FIFA Men's Player award behind Robert Lewandowski and Cristiano Ronaldo, and was included in the FIFA FIFPro World XI for the fourteenth consecutive year.[294]
"Congratulations on your historic record, Lionel. But above all, congratulations on your beautiful career at Barcelona. Stories like ours, of loving the same club for so long, unfortunately will be increasingly rare in football. I admire you very much, Leo Messi."
On 23 December, Messi scored his 644th goal for Barcelona in a 3–0 away win against Real Valladolid in La Liga, surpassing Pelé with Santos as the player with the most goals scored for a single club.[295][296] In order to celebrate his achievement, Budweiser sent personalised bottles of beer to every goalkeeper whom Messi has scored against.[297] On 17 January 2021, Messi was sent off for the first time in his club career for violent conduct (swinging an arm at the head of Asier Villalibre, missed initially by the referee but reviewed via VAR) in the final minutes of Barcelona's 3–2 extra time defeat to Athletic Bilbao in the 2021 Supercopa de España final.[298] On 10 March, Barcelona were eliminated in the round of 16 for the first time in 14 years by an aggregate score of 5–2 against Paris Saint-Germain.[299] On 15 March, Messi scored two goals in a 4–1 home win against Huesca, and became the first player in history to score at least 20 goals in 13 consecutive seasons in the top five European leagues.[300] On 21 March, he surpassed Xavi to become Barcelona's all-time highest appearance maker with 768 appearances, in which he also scored a brace in a 6–1 away win against Real Sociedad.[301]
On 17 April, Messi scored twice as Barcelona defeated Athletic Bilbao 4–0 in the 2021 Copa del Rey final at La Cartuja. With his second goal, he broke Gerd Müller's record of 30 plus goals in 12 consecutive club seasons, setting a new record of 13.[302][303] On 16 May, Messi scored his 30th league goal of the campaign in a 2–1 home defeat against Celta Vigo, which later turned out to be his final goal and match in a Barcelona shirt.[304] The top goalscorer in La Liga, Messi received the Pichichi Trophy for a record eighth time in his career.[305] It was also his record fifth consecutive win in La Liga, surpassing Alfredo Di Stéfano and Hugo Sánchez who both had four for Real Madrid.[305]
August 2021: Departure
"Leo wanted to stay and the Club wanted him to stay but with the La Liga rules it has not been possible. To comply with the league's fair play regulations we had to accept an agreement that mortgaged the Club's TV right for half a century and FC Barcelona is above everything else."
– Barcelona president Joan Laporta explains the reason behind Messi's departure.[306]
On 1 July, Messi became a free agent after his contract expired,[307] with negotiations on a new deal complicated due to financial issues at Barcelona.[308] On 5 August, Barcelona announced that Messi would not be staying at the club, even though both parties reached an agreement and were due to sign a contract that day.[309] The club cited financial and structural obstacles posed by La Liga regulations as a reason for Messi's departure.[310] On 6 August, club president Joan Laporta also blamed the previous board for Messi's exit by saying "the basis of everything is the calamitous and disastrous situation left by the previous board", he added by saying "the expected debt is much higher and we had some sports contracts in place that meant we had no margin on salary".[311] Three days later, in a tearful press conference held at the Camp Nou, Messi confirmed that he would be leaving Barcelona.[312] He ended his Barça career with more appearances, goals, assists and trophies than any other player in club history.[313]
Paris Saint-Germain
2021–2022: First season adjustments and seventh Ballon d'Or
On 10 August, Messi joined French club Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) on a free transfer.[314] He signed a two-year deal until June 2023 with an option for an extra year.[315] Messi chose 30 as his squad number, the same he wore as a teenager when he made his senior debut for Barcelona.[316]
Messi made his debut for the club on 29 August, coming on as a substitute in the second half of a 2–0 away win over Reims in Ligue 1.[317] He made his first start and Champions League debut for the club in a 1–1 away draw against Club Brugge on 15 September.[318] Four days later, Messi made his home debut for PSG in a 2–1 win over Lyon.[319] On 28 September, he scored his first goal for the club, a strike from the edge of the 18-yard box in a 2–0 Champions League group stage home win over former manager Pep Guardiola's Manchester City.[320] On 21 November, Messi scored his first Ligue 1 goal in a 3–1 home victory over Nantes.[321] Later that month, he provided a hat-trick of assists for the fifth time in his career as PSG beat Saint-Étienne 3–1 away from home.[322] Having scored 40 goals at club and international level for the calendar year and helped Argentina win the 2021 Copa América, Messi received a record seventh Ballon d'Or on 29 November.[323]
"I think about being able to reverse the situation, about not having the feeling of having changed clubs and that it didn't go well for me. I'm already prepared for what's to come, I know the club, I know the city, I'm a little more comfortable with the dressing room, with my teammates and I know it's going to be different"
– Messi on his difficult first season at PSG and how he wants to improve in his second season in an interview with TyC Sports.[324]
On 2 January 2022, PSG announced that Messi had tested positive for COVID-19, missing two league games and a cup game as a result.[325][326] He made his return against on 23 January in the league against Reims where he came on as a substitute in the second half and assisted PSG's third goal in a 4–0 home victory.[327] On 13 March, following their Champions League elimination against Real Madrid in the round of 16, Messi and his teammate Neymar were booed by some of the PSG fans at the Parc des Princes in the league match against Bordeaux.[328][329] Then-PSG manager Mauricio Pochettino defended Messi by saying "To judge Messi in this way is unfair," adding "It was a year of learning, and not just on a professional level coming to Paris Saint-Germain, in a new league and with new teammates, but also on a family level."[330] On 23 April, he helped PSG clinch their 10th Ligue 1 title after scoring from a strike outside the 18-yard box in a 1–1 draw against Lens at home.[331] Messi finished his debut season with 11 goals and 14 assists across all competitions.[332] He failed to reach double figure league goals for the first time since 2005–06, ending the campaign with six.[333]
2022–2023: Return to form and departure
After adjusting to his new surroundings and settling in Paris, under new coach Christophe Galtier, Messi returned to his preferred free attacking role; being placed in his favoured position as the playmaker behind two strikers, in an attacking trident with Neymar and Kylian Mbappé, quickly regaining his form by starting off the new season on 31 July by scoring PSG's first goal in a 4–0 victory over Nantes in the Trophée des Champions at the Bloomfield Stadium, winning his second trophy with PSG.[334]
Due to his form in the previous season, Messi was not nominated for the Ballon d'Or award for the first time since 2005.[335] On 21 August, Messi provided a long-range assist for Mbappé, clocked at eight seconds, for Ligue 1's second-fastest goal ever scored, before also scoring a goal in 7–1 away win over Lille.[336][337] The following matches, after registering six goal contributions, including one goal and five assists, Messi was named Ligue 1's Player of the Month in September.[338] On 14 September, Messi scored the equaliser in a 3–1 away win over Maccabi Haifa in the Champions League, becoming the first player in history to score in 18 consecutive Champions League seasons.[339] On 5 October, he scored in a 1–1 away draw against Benfica at the Estádio da Luz, becoming the only player in the competition's history to score against 40 different Champions League opponents.[340] On 25 October, Messi scored twice and assisted twice in a 7–2 Champions League win at home against Maccabi Haifa, setting the record for the most goals scored from outside the 18-yard box in the competition, with 23 goals.[341] He also became the oldest player in the competition’s history to score multiple goals and provide multiple assists in a single game.[342] Four days later, Messi scored and provided an assist as PSG won 4–3 against Troyes at home to remain top of the Ligue 1 table. The goal was his seventh of the league season and his twelfth overall, surpassing his total output of the prior season in just 18 matches.[343]
On 26 February 2023, PSG defeated Marseille 3–0 away in Le Classique at the Stade Vélodrome, with Messi scoring his 700th senior career club goal as well as assisting two goals for Mbappé.[344] On 4 March, he scored the opening goal in a 4–2 home win against Nantes, with the goal seeing Messi achieve 1,000 career direct goal contributions at club level (701 goals and 299 assists).[345] On 11 March, PSG defeated Brest 2–1 away from home, with Messi setting up a last-minute winner for Mbappé, registering his 300th club career assist.[346] On 8 April, he scored and provided an assist in a 2–0 away win over Nice in Ligue 1, which saw him overtake Cristiano Ronaldo as the all-time highest goalscorer in European club football with 702 goals.[347][348] On 2 May, Messi was suspended for two weeks and fined after taking an unauthorised trip to Saudi Arabia with his family as part of a promotional commercial agreement. His visit to Saudi Arabia meant he did not report to training the previous day following a 3–1 home defeat to Lorient.[349] The next day, on 3 May, it was reported that Messi would leave PSG at the end of the season, following the expiry of his contract.[350] Afterwards, several PSG supporters demanded his exit from the club, viewing his absence as evidence of a team not fighting for the shirt, within a context of perceived disconnect between themselves and the club's identity.[351] Two days later, Messi apologised to the club and his teammates for the trip, stating he thought he had a free day after the match [against Lorient], and already had the trip planned, which he had cancelled previously.[352] On 28 May, Messi scored in a 1–1 away draw against Strasbourg helping PSG clinch their record-breaking 11th Ligue 1 title and his second in a row; in the process Messi overtook Cristiano Ronaldo and became the player with the most goals in the history of Europe's top five leagues, with 496 goals.[353][354]
On 1 June, Galtier confirmed that PSG's home game against Clermont on 3 June would be Messi's last for the club, with the club confirming his departure two days later;[355] the match ended in 3–2 defeat. He ended the season with the highest number of assists in the league with 16 assists and was also included in the UNFP's Ligue 1 Team of the Season alongside teammates Achraf Hakimi, Nuno Mendes and Mbappé.[356][357]
Inter Miami
Following confirmation of his departure from PSG, Messi was linked with a return to former club Barcelona, as well as with a big-money move to Saudi Pro League club Al Hilal, but his eventual decision to sign for Major League Soccer club Inter Miami was communicated to Barcelona president Joan Laporta by 5 June 2023.[358][359] Barcelona were unable to sign him due to financial constraints.[360]
On 7 June, Inter Miami posted a video on their social media hinting at the club's impending signing of Messi.[361] On the same day, Messi confirmed his intention to join Miami in a joint interview with Mundo Deportivo and Sport, in which he said that they "haven't closed it 100 percent"; MLS also stated that the deal had not been finalised.[362] He explained that even though La Liga had accepted everything and was fine for him to return to Barcelona, there were many things left to be done such as lowering salaries and selling players, and he did not want to go through it again or be responsible for it.[363] He confirmed that other European clubs approached him, but that Barcelona was the only European team he wanted to play for.[360]
On 15 July, Inter Miami announced the signing of Messi on a two-and-a-half-year contract.[364][365] He was formally introduced to fans at a live-streamed event, dubbed "La PresentaSÍon", at DRV PNK Stadium the following day alongside fellow signee and former Barcelona teammate Sergio Busquets.[366] His base salary is set at $12 million with guaranteed compensation totalling $20.4 million for the 2023 season; Messi is also set to earn additional shares from shirt sales, MLS Season Pass subscriptions, and a stake in the club itself.[367]
2023: Leagues Cup victory and eighth Ballon d'Or
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Messi made his debut for the club on 21 July in a Leagues Cup match against Cruz Azul, scoring with a free kick in stoppage time for a 2–1 home victory.[368] After scoring nine goals in his first six games for Miami, Messi opened the scoring in the 2023 Leagues Cup final at Geodis Park against Nashville SC on 19 August before Nashville equalised in the second half. The game ended in a penalty shootout which Miami won, 10–9, with Messi scoring the first, giving the club their first ever trophy.[369] Messi claimed the awards for best player and top scorer with ten goals.[370]
Messi would make his debut in the 2023 U.S. Open Cup in the semi-final against FC Cincinnati on 23 August. During the match, he assisted two goals in a 3–3 away draw. Miami advanced after winning 5–4 in a penalty shootout, where Messi converted his opportunity.[371] However, Messi was unavailable due to injury in the final on 27 September, which Miami would lose 2–1 to the Houston Dynamo.[372]
Messi made his MLS debut on 26 August, coming on as a substitute in the 60th minute, scoring a late goal in a 2–0 away win against the New York Red Bulls, which put an end to Miami's eleven-match league winless streak.[373] Messi's first goal in the regular season earned him Goal of the Matchday with 89.7% of the vote.[374] On 30 October, following his 2022 FIFA World Cup win with Argentina and Ligue 1 trophy with PSG, Messi was awarded a record-extending eighth Ballon d'Or.[375] Messi finished his first season for Inter Miami with 11 goals in 14 matches, after playing in his final game in a 1–0 away loss to Charlotte FC on 21 October.[376] Miami finished 14th in the Eastern Conference, having gone winless in their last seven games.[377] For his achievements in 2023, he was named Time Athlete of the Year, the first footballer to ever win the award.[378] On 15 January 2024, Messi won The Best FIFA Men's Player for a record third time.[379] He also extended his record number of appearances in the FIFPRO Men's World 11 to 17 straight appearances, having not missed out on the selection since 2006.[380]
2024: Supporters' Shield champions and Inter Miami's all-time leading goalscorer
After two games in the 2024 season, and the introduction of former Barcelona teammate Luis Suárez to join him,[381] Messi scored his first goal of the season in stoppage time to equalise in a 1–1 away league draw against the LA Galaxy on 26 February.[382][383] In March, Messi was ruled out with a right hamstring injury after experiencing discomfort during the round of 16 of the Champions Cup against Nashville.[384][385] On his return from injury, having missed four games, Messi scored for Inter Miami in a 2–2 home draw against the Colorado Rapids on 6 April.[386] On 10 April, Messi and Inter Miami were knocked out of the Champions Cup after a 5–3 aggregate defeat to Monterrey.[387] Three days later, Messi managed one goal and an assist in a 3–2 away win over Sporting Kansas City, attracting the highest-ever attendance at Arrowhead Stadium with a crowd of 72,610.[388] On 27 April, Messi scored two goals and provided an assist in a 4–1 away win against the New England Revolution, recording his 16th goal contribution and becoming the first MLS player to do so in their seventh appearance.[389] On 4 May, Messi broke the record for the most assists in a single MLS game with five assists and he also broke the record for the most goal contributions in an MLS game with six in a 6–2 home win over the New York Red Bulls. He assisted Luis Suárez in his first hat-trick for the club and assisted in Matias Rojas' brace. Messi also scored a goal against the Red Bulls as part of his six goal contributions.[390]
On 16 July, two days after Messi injured his ankle in the 2024 Copa América final, Inter Miami announced that medical evaluation determined that Messi suffered a ligament injury in his right ankle, ruling him out indefinitely. Prior to the tests, Inter Miami manager Gerardo Martino said Messi would likely be sidelined for at least the club's next two games.[391] He made his return to Inter Miami two months later on 14 September, scoring a brace and providing an assist in a 3–1 home win against the Philadelphia Union.[392] On 2 October, a brace from Messi in a 3–2 away win against the Columbus Crew would guarantee that Inter Miami would have the best regular season record in MLS, securing the Supporters' Shield in the process.[393] On the last day of the regular season on 19 October, Messi came off the bench and within 11 minutes scored his first hat-trick for Inter Miami, in a 6–2 home victory against the New England Revolution. Inter Miami would finish the season with 74 points - a league record that earned the club a place in the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup as the host. Messi finished the regular season with 20 goals and 16 assists in 19 matches.[394] In doing so, he became Inter Miami's all-time top goalscorer.[395] During the 2024 MLS Cup Playoffs, Messi's first appearance in the league's postseason, Miami would draw Atlanta United in the first round and split the first two games. In the third game at home, Messi scored his first postseason goal, the 850th in his senior career for club and country, but Miami were eliminated from the playoffs after a 3–2 defeat.[396]
Messi would be named the MLS Most Valuable Player following the conclusion of the regular season.[397]
2025
On 19 February 2025, Messi scored his first goal in Inter Miami's first game of the year during a 1–0 victory against Sporting Kansas City, which took place in the first leg of Round One in the 2025 CONCACAF Champions Cup. With the match taking place at Children's Mercy Park in Kansas City during the middle of winter, game-time temperatures would record at 3 °F (−16 °C), with a wind speed of 9 mph resulting in a wind chill of −11 °F (−24 °C).[398] These conditions marked the coldest match of Messi's career.[399] On 25 February, Messi and Luis Suárez were fined by the MLS Disciplinary Committee for violating the league's hands to the face/head/neck policy during the opening match of the season three days earlier against New York City FC.[400] After the conclusion of the match, Messi had appeared to grab the back of the neck of NYCFC assistant coach Mehdi Ballouchy while arguing with him.[401]
Messi and Inter Miami would be eliminated from the Champions Cup in the semi-final on 30 April after losing 5–1 on aggregate to the Vancouver Whitecaps.[402]
International career
Summarize
Perspective
2004–2005: Youth career
As a double national for both Argentina and Spain, Lionel Messi was eligible to play for the national team for both countries.[403] Selectors for the Spain national under-17 football team began pursuing him in 2003 after Barcelona's director of football, Carles Rexach, alerted the Royal Spanish Football Federation to their young player. Messi declined the offer, having aspired to represent La Albiceleste since childhood. He was inspired by the victory of the Argentina national under-17 football team in the 2003 South American U-17 Championship, held in Bolivia. Messi was initially part of that squad, but could not participate due to a hectic schedule.[404]
To further prevent Spain from taking Messi, the Argentine Football Association organised two under-20 friendlies in June 2004, against Paraguay and Uruguay, with the purpose of finalising his status as an Argentina player in FIFA. Five days after his 17th birthday, on 29 June, he made his debut for Argentina on the national under-20 football team against Paraguay, coming off the bench to score once and provide two assists in their 8–0 victory. In the next game against Uruguay on 3 July, he would again come off the bench to score two goals in a 4–1 win.[405]
2005 South American Youth Championship
Messi was subsequently included in the squad for the South American Youth Championship, held in Colombia from January to February 2005. As he lacked the stamina of his teammates, the result of his former growth hormone deficiency, he was used as a substitute in six of the nine games. After being named man of the match against Venezuela on 25 January, he scored the winning 2–1 goal in the crucial last match on 6 February against Brazil, thereby securing their third-place qualification for the 2005 FIFA World Youth Championship.[405]
2005 FIFA World Youth Championship
Aware of his physical limitations, Messi employed a personal trainer to increase his muscle mass, returning to the squad in an improved condition in time for the World Youth Championship, hosted by the Netherlands in June. After he was left out of the starting line-up in their first match against the United States on 11 June 2005, a 1–0 defeat, the squad's senior players asked manager Francisco Ferraro to let Messi start, as they considered him their best player. He would then help the team defeat Egypt and Germany to progress past the group stage.[406]
Messi proved decisive in the knockout phase as he scored their equaliser against Colombia on 22 June, provided a goal and an assist against title favourites Spain on 25 June, and scored their opening goal against reigning champions Brazil on 28 June. Ahead of the final, he was awarded the Golden Ball as the best player of the tournament. He scored two penalties in their 2–1 victory over Nigeria on 2 July, clinching Argentina's fifth championship and finishing the tournament as top scorer with 6 goals, along with two assists.[407][408] His performances drew comparisons with compatriot Diego Maradona, who had led Argentina's youth team to the title in 1979.[408]
2005–2007: Beginnings with senior national team
In recognition of his achievements with the under-20 side, senior manager José Pékerman gave Messi his first call-up with the senior national team for a friendly against Hungary on 17 August 2005. Aged 18, Messi made his senior debut for Argentina at the Ferenc Puskás Stadium in Budapest, when he came on in the 63rd minute, only to be sent off after two minutes for a perceived foul against Vilmos Vanczák, who had grabbed his shirt; Messi had struck the defender with his arm while trying to shake him off, which the referee interpreted as an intentional elbowing, a contentious decision.[409] Messi was reportedly found weeping in the dressing room after his sending-off.[410]
2006 FIFA World Cup qualification
Messi returned to the team on 3 September 2005 in their 2006 World Cup qualifier 1–0 away defeat to Paraguay, which he had declared his "re-debut" ahead of the match.[411] Messi started his first game on 9 October in the next qualifying match against Peru, in which he was able to win a crucial penalty that secured their 2–0 home victory. After the match, Pékerman described him as "a jewel".[412] Messi subsequently made regular appearances for the team ahead of Argentina's participation in the World Cup, scoring his first international goal in a 3–2 friendly defeat against Croatia at St. Jakob-Park on 1 March 2006.[413] A hamstring injury sustained a week later jeopardised his presence in the World Cup, but he was nevertheless selected for Pékerman's squad and regained fitness in time for the start of the tournament.[414]
2006 FIFA World Cup
"Look, I know that at this World Cup you're capable of.. you're going to be the best player in the world. I see that. But this World Cup is not going to be yours yet ... your World Cup is that of South Africa. And you will play many years with the Argentina national team."
The 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany would be Messi's first international tournament with Argentina's senior team. Being that Messi was spending most of his time in Spain, Pékerman wanted him to integrate himself into Argentina's locker room before expanding his role on the team. He stressed the importance in understanding the national team's dynamic, and tasked Messi with getting close with and learning from the more experienced players. Pékerman saw that Messi that had the potential to be the best player in the world, but told him that his time in the World Cup would happen in South Africa, four years later.[415]
Messi witnessed their opening group stage match victory against the Ivory Coast on 10 June 2006 from the substitutes' bench. In the next match on 16 June, against Serbia and Montenegro at the Arena AufSchalke, he became the youngest player to represent Argentina at a FIFA World Cup when he came on as a substitute in the 74th minute. He assisted their fourth strike within minutes and scored the final goal in their 6–0 victory, making him the youngest scorer in the tournament, the sixth-youngest goalscorer in the history of the World Cup, the youngest goalscorer for Argentina at a World Cup, and the youngest player to both score and assist in a single World Cup game.[416] As their progression to the knockout phase was secured, several starters were rested during the last group match. Messi consequently started the game against the Netherlands on 21 June, a 0–0 draw, as they won their group on goal difference.[417][418]
In the round of 16 match against Mexico, played on his 19th birthday on 24 June, Messi came on in the 84th minute, with the score tied at 1–1. He appeared to score a goal, but it was contentiously ruled offside, with the team needing a late goal in extra time to proceed.[419][420] He did not play in the quarter-final against Germany on 30 June, during which Argentina were eliminated 4–2 in a penalty shootout.[421] Back home, Pékerman's decision to leave him on the bench against Germany led to widespread criticism from those who believed Messi could have changed the outcome of the match in Argentina's favour.[422][423] Pékerman would step down as manager after the tournament.[424]
2007 Copa América
As Messi evolved into one of the best players in the world, he secured a place in new Argentina manager Alfio Basile's starting line-up, as part of a team considered favourites to win the 2007 Copa América, held in Venezuela.[36][425] In his Copa América debut, he assisted the game-winning goal of their 4–1 victory over the United States on 28 June 2007 in the opening group match, before winning a penalty that led to the game-tying first strike of their 4–2 win in the next match against Colombia on 2 July.[426][427]
At the quarter-final match against Peru in the knockout stage on 8 July, Messi scored the second goal of a 4–0 victory that saw them through to the semi-final, during which he chipped the ball over Mexico's goalkeeper to ensure another 3–0 win on 11 July.[425] In a surprise defeat on 15 July, Argentina lost the 2007 Copa América final 3–0 to a Brazil squad that lacked several of the nation's best players.[428] Their unexpected loss was followed by much criticism in Argentina, though Messi was mostly exempt due to his young age and secondary status to star player Juan Román Riquelme.[425] He was named the best young player and in the team of the tournament by CONMEBOL having scored two goals and provided one assist.[429]
2008: Beijing Summer Olympics
Before the 2008 Summer Olympics, held in Beijing, FIFA ordered Barcelona to release him for the men's football tournament.[430][431] However, the CAS legally barred Messi from representing Argentina at the tournament as it coincided with their Champions League qualifying matches.[432][433][434][435][436] After interference from newly appointed Barcelona manager Pep Guardiola, who had won the tournament in 1992, a 21-year-old Messi was permitted to join Sergio Batista's under-23 squad for the Olympics.[437][438][439][440]
During the first match on 7 August 2008, he scored the opening goal in their 2–1 victory over the Ivory Coast. Following a 1–0 win in the next group match against Australia on 10 August, ensuring their quarter-final qualification, Messi was rested during the game against Serbia on 13 August, while his side won the match to finish first in their group.[441]
Against the Netherlands on 16 August, he again scored the first goal and assisted a second strike to help his team to a 2–1 win in extra time. After a 3–0 semi-final victory over Brazil on 19 August, Messi assisted the only goal in the final to Ángel Di María at the Beijing National Stadium on 22 August, as Argentina defeated Nigeria 1–0 to claim Olympic gold medals.[441] Along with Riquelme, Messi was singled out by FIFA as the stand-out player from the tournament's best team. Messi registered two goals and three assists throughout the Olympics.[442]
2008–2011: Collective decline
2010 FIFA World Cup qualification
From late 2008, the national team experienced a three-year period marked by poor performances.[425] Diego Maradona, who had captained Argentina to World Cup victory as a player, became the national team's manager on 29 October 2008.[443] Under Maradona's leadership, the team struggled during the 2010 World Cup qualification campaign. Maradona was criticised for his strategic decisions, which included playing Messi out of his usual position.[444]
In the eight qualifying matches under Maradona's stewardship, Messi scored only one goal, netting the opening goal in the first such match, a 4–0 home victory over Venezuela on 28 March 2009.[413][444] During that game, he wore Argentina's number 10 shirt for the first time, following the international retirement of Riquelme. Maradona, who had famously worn the number during his time as a player for Argentina, told Messi "the No 10 is yours. There's nobody better than you to wear it."[445] Argentina secured their place in the tournament only after defeating Uruguay 1–0 away in their last qualifying match on 14 October.[444] Overall, Messi scored four goals in 18 appearances during the qualifying process.[413]
2010 FIFA World Cup
Despite their poor qualifying campaign, Argentina were considered title contenders at the 2010 FIFA World Cup, held in South Africa.[444] Ahead of the tournament, Maradona visited Messi in Barcelona to request his tactical input; Messi then outlined a 4–3–1–2 formation with himself playing behind the two strikers, a playmaking position known as the enganche in Argentine football, which had been his preferred position since childhood.[446]
When the tournament started, this new formation proved effective; Messi managed at least four attempts on goal during their opening match of the group stage on 12 June 2010, but was repeatedly denied by Nigeria's goalkeeper, resulting in a 1–0 win. During the next match on 17 June, against South Korea, he excelled in his playmaking role, participating in all four goals of his side's 4–1 victory. As their place in the knockout phase was guaranteed unless they lost by at least three goals to Greece and South Korea also defeated Nigeria by enough goals to surpass Argentina, most of the starters were rested during the last group match, but Messi reportedly refused to be benched.[444] He wore the captain's armband for the first time on 22 June in their 2–0 win against Greece; as the focal point of their play, he helped create their second goal to see Argentina finish as group winners and advance to the knockout stage.[447]
In their round of 16 match on 27 June, Argentina were again drawn against Mexico. Messi assisted a controversial goal to striker Carlos Tevez in the 25th minute to open the scoring for the match. Tevez appeared to be offside, but the goal was eventually kept for Argentina en route to their 3–1 victory.[448] Argentina were eliminated in the quarter-final against Germany on 3 July, at the same stage of the tournament and by the same opponent as four years earlier. Their 4–0 loss was their worst margin of defeat at a World Cup since 1974.[449]
Messi failed to score throughout the tournament but provided a single assist. FIFA subsequently identified Messi as one of the tournament's 10 best players, citing his "outstanding" pace and creativity and "spectacular and efficient" dribbling, shooting and passing.[450] Back home, however, Messi was the subject of harsher judgement. As the perceived best player in the world, he had been expected to lead an average team to the title, as Maradona arguably did in 1986. Failing to replicate his performances at Barcelona with the national team led to the accusation that he cared less about his country than his club.[451]
2011 Copa América
Maradona was replaced by Sergio Batista, who had orchestrated Argentina's Olympic victory. Batista publicly stated that he intended to build the team around Messi, employing him as a false nine within a 4–3–3 system, as used to much success by Barcelona.[451][452] Although Messi scored a record 53 goals during the 2010–11 club season, he had not scored for Argentina in a competitive match since March 2009.[89][413] One notable friendly during this period occurred on 9 February 2011, when Argentina faced off against Portugal in Geneva, Switzerland. The match pit Messi against Cristiano Ronaldo, his perceived career rival, in their first international match against one another.[453] Both players would be on the scoresheet, with Ronaldo scoring an equaliser and being substituted before Messi scored an 89th-minute penalty to win the match for Argentina 2–1.[454]
Despite the tactical change, Messi's goal drought in competitive matches continued during the 2011 Copa América, hosted by Argentina. Their first two group matches, against Bolivia on 1 July and Colombia on 6 July, ended in draws. Media and fans noted that he did not combine well with Tevez, who enjoyed greater popularity among the Argentine public; Messi was consequently booed by his own team's supporters for the first time in his career.[451]
During the crucial next match on 11 July, with Tevez on the bench, Messi gave a well-received performance, assisting two goals in their 3–0 victory over Costa Rica. This ensured that Argentina would advance to the knockout stage. After the quarter-final against Uruguay on 16 July ended in a 1–1 draw following extra time, with Messi having assisted their equaliser, Argentina were eliminated 5–4 in the penalty shootout by the eventual champions. Messi would again be goalless but provided three assists, being named to the team of the tournament.[451]
2011–2016: Assuming captaincy and three consecutive finals losses
After Argentina's unsuccessful performance in the Copa América, Batista was replaced by Alejandro Sabella. Upon his appointment in August 2011, Sabella awarded the 24-year-old Messi the captaincy of the squad, in accord with then-captain Javier Mascherano. Reserved by nature, Messi went on to lead his squad by example as their best player, while Mascherano continued to fulfil the role of the team's on-field leader and motivator.[455][456]
2014 FIFA World Cup qualification
In a further redesign of the team, Sabella dismissed Tevez and brought in players with whom Messi had won the World Youth Championship and Olympic Games. Now playing in a free role in an improving team, Messi ended his goal drought by scoring during their first 2014 World Cup qualifying match against Chile, a 4–1 home win on 7 October 2011, his first competitive goal for Argentina in two-and-a-half years.[413][455]
Under Sabella, Messi's goalscoring rate drastically increased; where he had scored only 17 goals in 61 matches under his previous managers, he scored 25 times in 32 appearances during the following three years.[413][455] He netted a total of 12 goals in 9 games for Argentina in 2012, equalling the record held by Gabriel Batistuta for the most goals scored in a calendar year for their country.[457] His first international hat-trick came in a 3–1 friendly win against Switzerland on 29 February 2012, followed by two more hat-tricks over the next year-and-a-half in friendlies against Brazil in a 4–3 win and Guatemala in a 4–0 win.
Messi then helped the team secure their place in the World Cup qualifiers with a 5–2 away victory over Paraguay at the Estadio Defensores del Chaco on 10 September 2013 when he scored twice from penalty kicks, taking his international tally to 37 goals to become Argentina's second-highest goalscorer behind Batistuta. Overall, he had scored a total of 10 goals in 14 matches during the qualifying campaign.[413][458] Concurrently with his bettered performances, his relationship with his compatriots improved, as he gradually began to be perceived more favourably in Argentina.[455]
2014 FIFA World Cup
Ahead of the 2014 FIFA World Cup held in Brazil, doubts persisted over Messi's form, as he finished an unsuccessful and injury-plagued season with Barcelona.[459][460] Regardless, Argentina were favoured by many to win the tournament, with pundits predicting that Messi would use the opportunity to prove his case as the best player in the world.[461][462] At the start of the World Cup, Messi gave strong performances, being elected Man of the Match in their first four matches.[463] In Argentina’s opening World Cup match on 15 June 2014, during the group stage at the Maracanã Stadium, he led them to a 2–1 victory over Bosnia and Herzegovina; he helped create Sead Kolašinac's own goal and scored their second strike after a dribble past three players, his first World Cup goal since his debut in the tournament eight years earlier.[464] During the second match against Iran on 21 June, he scored an injury-time goal from 25 yards out to end the game in a 1–0 win, securing their qualification for the knockout phase.[465] He scored twice in the last group match, a 3–2 victory over Nigeria on 25 June, his second goal coming from a free kick, as they finished first in their group.[466]
During the knockout stage, Messi assisted a late goal to Di María in extra time to ensure a 1–0 win on 1 July against Switzerland in the round of 16.[467] He played in the 1–0 quarter-final win against Belgium on 5 July as Argentina progressed to the semi-final of the World Cup for the first time since 1990.[468] Following a 0–0 draw in extra time on 9 July, they eliminated the Netherlands 4–2 in a penalty shootout to reach the final, with Messi scoring his team's first penalty.[469]
Billed as Messi versus Germany, the world's best player against the best team, the 2014 FIFA World Cup final on 13 July was a repeat of the 1986 and 1990 finals, which both featured Diego Maradona and split between both countries.[470] Within the first half-hour, Messi had started the play that led to a goal, but it was ruled offside. He missed several opportunities to open the scoring throughout the match, in particular at the start of the second half when his breakaway effort went wide of the far post. German substitute Mario Götze finally scored in the 113th minute, followed in the last minute of extra time by a free kick that Messi sent over the net, as Germany won the match 1–0 to claim the World Cup.[471]
At the conclusion of the final, Messi was awarded the Golden Ball as the best player of the tournament. In addition to being the joint third-highest goalscorer, with four goals and an assist, he created the most chances, completed the most dribbling runs, made the most deliveries into the penalty area and produced the most throughballs in the competition.[463][472] However, his selection drew criticism due to his lack of goals in the knockout round; FIFA President Sepp Blatter expressed his surprise, while Maradona suggested that Messi had undeservedly been chosen for marketing purposes.[473] Following the tournament, Messi would also draw heavy criticism at home for coming short of expectations of leading Argentina to winning the World Cup.[474][475]
2015 Copa América
Another final appearance, the third of Messi's senior international career, followed in the 2015 Copa América, held in Chile. Under the stewardship of former Barcelona manager Gerardo Martino, Argentina entered the tournament as title contenders due to their second-place achievement at the World Cup.[476][477] During the opening match in the group stage against Paraguay on 13 June 2015, they were ahead two goals by half-time but lost their lead to end the match in a 2–2 draw; Messi had scored from a penalty kick, netting his only goal in the tournament.[478] Following a 1–0 win against defending champions Uruguay that occurred on 16 June, Messi earned his 100th cap for his country in the final group match, a 1–0 win over Jamaica on 20 June, becoming only the fifth Argentine and the youngest to achieve this milestone.[479] In his 100 appearances, he had scored a total of 46 goals for Argentina, 22 of which came in competitive matches.[413][479]
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As Messi evolved from the team's symbolic captain into a genuine leader, he led Argentina to the knockout stage as group winners.[480] In the quarter-final on 26 June, they created numerous chances, including a rebound header by Messi, but were repeatedly denied by Colombia's goalkeeper, and ultimately ended the match scoreless, leading to a 5–4 penalty shootout in their favour, with Messi netting his team's first spot kick.[481] At the semi-final stage on 30 June, Messi excelled as a playmaker as he provided three assists and helped create three more goals in his side's 6–1 victory over Paraguay, receiving applause from the initially hostile crowd.[480]
Argentina started the 2015 Copa América final on 4 July as the odds-on title favourites, but were defeated by Chile 4–1 in a penalty shootout after a 0–0 extra time draw. Faced with aggression from opposing players, including taking a boot to the midriff, Messi played below his standards, though he was the only Argentine to successfully convert his penalty.[482] At the close of the tournament, he was named in the team of the tournament and reportedly selected to receive the Golden Ball award, having scored one goal and provided three assists throughout, but rejected the honour.[483] As Argentina continued a trophy drought since 1993, the Copa América defeat again brought intense criticism for Messi from Argentine media and fans.[484]
Copa América Centenario
Messi's place on the Argentina squad for the Copa América Centenario tournament, held in the United States, was initially put in jeopardy when he sustained a back injury in a 1–0 friendly win over Honduras in a pre-Copa América warm-up match on 27 May 2016. It was later reported that he had suffered a deep bruise in his lumbar region.[485] Messi would be left on the bench in Argentina's 2–1 opening group match win over defending champions Chile on 6 June due to concerns regarding his fitness.[486] Although Messi was declared match-fit for his nation's second against Panama on 10 June, Martino left him on the bench once again; he replaced Augusto Fernández in the 61st minute and subsequently scored a hat-trick in 19 minutes, also starting the play which led to Sergio Agüero's goal, as the match ended in a 5–0 victory, sealing Argentina's place in the knockout stage of the competition;[487] he was elected man of the match for his performance.[488]
"Did it annoy me that Messi took the record? A little, yes. You go around the world and people say, 'he's the top scorer for the Argentina national team.' But the advantage I have is that I'm second to an extraterrestrial."
– Gabriel Batistuta on the consolation of Messi breaking his record.[489]
On 18 June, in the quarter-final of the Copa América against Venezuela, Messi produced another man of the match performance,[490] assisting two goals and scoring another in a 4–1 victory, which enabled him to equal Gabriel Batistuta's national record for the all-time top goalscorer in Argentina's history with 54 goals in official international matches.[491] This record was broken three days later when Messi scored a free kick in a 4–0 semi-final win against hosts the United States on 21 June; he also assisted two goals during the match as Argentina sealed a place in the final of the competition for a second consecutive year,[492] and was named man of the match once again.[493]
The Copa América Centenario final on 26 June would be a repeat of the previous year's result, as Argentina once again lost to Chile 4–2 on penalties after a 0–0 deadlock, with Messi missing his penalty. This resulted in Messi's third consecutive defeat in a major tournament final with Argentina in three consecutive years, and his fourth overall.[494] Messi finished the tournament as the second-highest goalscorer, behind Eduardo Vargas, with five goals, and was the highest assist provider with four assists, also winning more man of the match awards than any other player in the tournament (3).[495] He was named to the team of the tournament for his performances, but missed out on the Golden Ball Award for best player, which went to Alexis Sánchez.[496] Chile coach Juan Antonio Pizzi said after the match, "My generation can't compare him to Maradona that's for my generation, because of what Maradona did for Argentine football. But I think the best player ever played today here in the United States."[497]
2016–2019: Initial retirement and return
"My thinking right now and thinking about it in the locker room, I'm done playing with the national team. I tried my hardest. It's been four finals, and I was not able to win. I tried everything possible. It hurts me more than anyone, but it is evident that this is not for me. I want more than anyone to win a title with the national team, but unfortunately, it did not happen."
– Messi initially announcing his international retirement following Argentina's loss in the Copa América Centenario final.[494]
Losing his third consecutive final in three years weighed heavily on Messi; teammate Agüero stated that Messi was at the worst he had seen him in the dressing room after the Copa América Centenario final. When it came time to address the media after the match, Messi announced his retirement from international football at 29 years old.[494] He suggested that many wanted to see him retire, saying "I think this is best for everyone, firstly for me and for a lot of people that wish this."[498] Following his announcement, a nationwide campaign began in Argentina for Messi to change his mind about retiring.[499] When the team landed in Buenos Aires, Messi was greeted by fans with signs saying "Don't go, Leo", and prominent national figures such as President of Argentina Mauricio Macri and Diego Maradona publicly urged him to reverse his decision.[500][501] The campaign continued through the Argentina capital; Buenos Aires Mayor Horacio Rodríguez Larreta unveiled a statue of Messi to convince him to reconsider retirement, the "Don't go, Leo" slogan appeared on traffic signs all throughout the city, and a demonstration with 50,000 supporters at the Obelisco de Buenos Aires was planned on 2 July to urge Messi to come back.[502][503][501]
Just a week after Messi announced his international retirement, Argentine newspaper La Nación reported that he was reconsidering playing for Argentina at the 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifiers in September.[504] On 12 August, it was confirmed that Messi had reversed his decision to retire from international football, reportedly saying "A lot of things went through my mind on the night of the final and I gave serious thought to quitting, but my love for my country and this shirt is too great."[505] He was subsequently included in the squad for the national team's upcoming World Cup qualifiers by new Argentina manager Edgardo Bauza, who replaced Martino following the loss in the Copa América Centenario final.[506]
2018 FIFA World Cup qualification
On 1 September 2016, in his first game back with the national team, Messi scored in a 1–0 home win over Uruguay in a World Cup qualifier.[507] Messi had played that match through a groin injury he sustained against Athletic Bilbao in La Liga at the end of August; the same injury would keep him out of the next qualifier against Venezuela on 6 September. Another groin injury picked up against Atlético Madrid would leave him unable to play in the next two qualifiers against Peru and Paraguay in October.[508]
During a qualifier against Chile on 23 March 2017 in a 1–0 home win where he scored the only goal, Messi insulted an assistant referee. Consequently, FIFA suspended Messi on 28 March for four international games and also fined him 10,000 CHF. Argentina still had five qualifiers yet to play when the suspension was announced.[509][510] Hours after the announcement, Messi would serve the first game ban by missing that day's qualifier against Bolivia, where Argentina would lose 2–0 away and subsequently drop to fifth place in their group.[511] With only four CONMEBOL teams guaranteed a qualification spot and a fifth dependent on an inter-confederation play-off, Bauza was relieved of his duties on 11 April and was replaced by Jorge Sampaoli to try to better the team's chances at entering the tournament.[512] On 5 May, the remainder of Messi's four match ban as well as his 10,000 CHF fine was lifted by FIFA after the Argentine Football Association appealed against his suspension, which meant he could now play the rest of Argentina's World Cup qualifiers.[513]
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Argentina's place in the next World Cup was in jeopardy going into their final qualifying match. In the three qualifiers leading up to the finale, Argentina drew against Uruguay, Venezuela and Peru. This put them sixth in their group, outside the five possible CONMEBOL World Cup qualifying spots, and meant they risked not appearing in the World Cup for the first time since 1970.[514][515] In the final qualifier against Ecuador on 10 October, Messi would secure his country's World Cup entry in dramatic fashion, scoring a hat-trick as Argentina came from behind to win 3–1 away at the Estadio Olímpico Atahualpa. Argentina had not defeated Ecuador in Quito since 2001.[516] Messi's three goals saw him become the joint all-time leading scorer in CONMEBOL World Cup qualifiers with 21 goals, alongside Uruguay's Luis Suárez, overtaking the previous record which was held by compatriot Hernán Crespo.[517]
Overall, Argentina struggled without Messi in the qualifiers, earning just 7 points from the 8 games when Messi did not play, while taking 21 points from 10 games when he did. Furthermore, Messi accounted for more than a third of Argentina's 19 goals throughout the campaign, having scored 7 of them, whereas no other teammate scored more than 2 goals.[518]
2018 FIFA World Cup
"The squad is the worst in their history. Even having the best player in the world was not capable of creating a competitive team. All the decline of recent times was hidden by this unrivalled genius [Messi]"
– Former Argentine player Osvaldo Ardiles on the decline in quality of Argentina being masked by Messi.[519]
Following on from their poor qualification campaign, expectations were not high going into the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia.[520] Without an injured Messi, the team lost 6–1 to Spain in a friendly on 27 March 2018.[521] When he did return to the team on 29 May for a friendly against Haiti, Messi would score a hat-trick in a 4–0 victory.[522] Prior to Argentina's opener, speculation arose over whether this would be Messi's final World Cup.[523]
In the team's opening group match against Iceland on 16 June, Messi missed a potential match-winning penalty in an eventual 1–1 draw.[524] In Argentina's second game on 21 June, the team lost 3–0 to Croatia in a huge upset. Post-match Sampaoli spoke of the lack of quality in the team surrounding Messi, saying "we quite simply couldn't pass to him to help him generate the situations he is used to. We worked to give him the ball but the opponent also worked hard to prevent him from getting the ball. We lost that battle".[525] Croatia captain and midfielder Luka Modrić also stated post match, "Messi is an incredible player but he can't do everything alone."[526]
Heading into their final group stage match against Nigeria on 26 June, Argentina were at the bottom of their group. In order to advance out of the group stage, Argentina needed to not only win the match, but also depended on not having Iceland win against Croatia with a goal differential advantage.[527] During the match, Messi scored the opening goal against Nigeria in an eventual 2–1 victory, becoming the third Argentine after Diego Maradona and Gabriel Batistuta to score in three different World Cups; he also became the first player to score in the World Cup in his teens, twenties, and his thirties.[528] A goal of the tournament contender, Messi received a long pass from midfield and controlled the ball on the run with two touches before striking it across goal into the net with his weaker right foot.[529][530] He was named Man of the Match, and Argentina progressed to the knockout round as group runners-up behind Croatia.[531][532]
In the round of 16 match against eventual champions France on 30 June, Messi set up Gabriel Mercado's and Sergio Agüero's goals in a 4–3 defeat, which saw Argentina eliminated from the World Cup.[533] With his two assists in his team's second round fixture, Messi became the first player to provide an assist in each of the last four World Cups, and also became the first player to provide two assists in a World Cup match for Argentina since Maradona had managed the same feat against South Korea in 1986. The tournament ended with Messi only having one goal and two assists throughout.[534][535]
Following the World Cup exit, Sampaoli would step down as the national team's manager. Messi would not participate in Argentina's September friendlies against Guatemala and Colombia, and commented that it would be unlikely that he would represent his nation for the remainder of the calendar year. Messi's absence from the national team and his continued failure to win a title with Argentina prompted speculation in the media that Messi might retire from international football once again.[536]
2019 Copa América
A conversation with his idol Pablo Aimar and new Argentina manager Lionel Scaloni convinced Messi to return to the national team.[537] Messi would be called up to the Argentina squad once again for the team's friendlies in March 2019, and made his international return on 22 March, in a 3–1 friendly defeat to Venezuela, in Madrid.[538][539]
On 21 May, Messi was included in Scaloni's final 23-man squad for the 2019 Copa América, held in Brazil.[540] In Argentina's second group match on 19 June, Messi scored the equalising goal from the penalty spot in a 1–1 draw against Paraguay.[541] After coming under criticism in the media over his performance following Argentina's 2–0 quarter-final in knockout stage victory over Venezuela on 28 June, Messi commented that it had not been his best Copa América, while also criticising the poor quality of the pitches.[542] Following Argentina's 2–0 semi-final defeat to hosts and eventual champions Brazil on 2 July, Messi was critical of the refereeing,[543][544] and alleged the competition was "set up" for Brazil to win.[545]
In the third-place match against Chile on 6 July, Messi assisted Agüero's opening goal from a free kick in an eventual 2–1 win, to help Argentina win the bronze medal; however, he was sent off along with Gary Medel in the 37th minute of play, after being involved in an altercation with the Chilean defender.[546] It would be only the second straight red card he received on the national team, after the one he received during his debut.[547] Following the match, Messi refused to collect his medal, and implied in a post-match interview that his comments following the semi-final led to his sending off.[548]
2019–2022: Ending Argentina's trophy drought
Despite the tournament result, Argentina's win in the third-place match began an unbeaten run that would last for over three years.[549] Messi would issue an apology for his Copa América post-game comments, but was fined $1,500. Additionally, he was handed a one-match ban for his red card during the match, ruling him out of Argentina's first game in the 2022 World Cup qualifiers.[550] On 2 August, Messi was given an additional three-month international ban and fined $50,000 by CONMEBOL for his comments against the referee's decisions. The ban meant he would miss Argentina's friendlies against Chile, Mexico, Germany and Ecuador in September and October 2019.[551]
On 15 November, Messi played in the 2019 Superclásico de las Américas against Brazil at the King Saud University Stadium in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, scoring the winning goal by a rebound of his saved penalty for a 1–0 win.[552] After an appeal from the Argentine Football Association, their president Claudio Tapia announced on 10 September that Messi's suspension in the qualifiers would be overturned due to the statute of limitations expiring when the matches were postponed due to COVID-19.[553] Messi began Argentina's World Cup campaign by scoring a penalty in a 1–0 home victory against Ecuador on 8 October 2020.[554]
2021 Copa América
"It was clear to me that I had to try until the last tournament and that I couldn't withdraw from the national team without winning something."
– Messi on winning the 2021 Copa América in an interview with Diario Sport.[555]
On 14 June 2021, Messi scored from a free kick in a 1–1 draw against Chile in Argentina's opening group match of the 2021 Copa América, held in Brazil.[556] In the next match on 18 June against Uruguay, he provided an assist for a Guido Rodríguez header for their 1–0 win.[557] On 21 June, Messi played in his 147th match as he equalled Javier Mascherano's record for the most appearances for Argentina in a 1–0 win over Paraguay in their third game of the tournament.[558] A week later, he broke the record when he featured in a 4–1 win against Bolivia in his team's final group match, assisting Papu Gómez's opening goal and later scoring two.[559]
On 3 July, Messi assisted twice and scored from a free kick in a 3–0 win over Ecuador in the quarter-final of the competition's knockout rounds, becoming the first player to score four free kicks in the Copa América.[560] On 6 July, in a 1–1 draw in the semi-final against Colombia, Messi made his 150th appearance for his country and registered his fifth assist of the tournament, a cut-back for Lautaro Martínez, matching his record of nine goal contributions in a single tournament from five years earlier; he later scored his spot kick in Argentina's eventual 3–2 penalty shootout victory to progress to his fifth international final.[561][562]
On 10 July, Argentina defeated hosts and defending champions Brazil 1–0 in the 2021 Copa América final, thanks to Ángel Di María's winning goal.[563] After the final whistle blew, Messi fell to his knees and was soon surrounded in embrace by his teammates.[564] The win gave Messi his first major international title and ended Argentina's 28-year trophy drought, their first since 1993, and marked their joint-record 15th Copa América overall.[565] Messi was directly involved in nine out of Argentina's 12 goals, scoring 4 and assisting 5; he was elected man of the match on four occasions, and was named to the team of the tournament and player of the tournament, an honour he shared with Neymar. He also finished as top scorer with 4 goals tied with Colombia's Luis Díaz, with the Golden Boot awarded to Messi as he had more assists.[566][567]
2022 FIFA World Cup qualification
The first World Cup qualifier following the tournament was slated against Brazil on 5 September 2021. However, the match was suspended after five minutes at 0–0 and rescheduled to the next year after Brazilian health officials entered the pitch demanding the isolation of four Argentine players accused of violating the COVID quarantine rules.[568][569] In the next World Cup qualifier against Bolivia on 9 September, Messi scored a hat-trick in a 3–0 home win, moving him above Brazil's Pelé as South America's top male international scorer with 79 goals.[570] Being that qualifier was in their home country, at the Estadio Monumental in Buenos Aires, and the first to allow people to attend after COVID restrictions lifted, the match allowed Messi and the national team to celebrate winning the 2021 Copa América with the fans. The national team danced with Messi, who was in tears as he lifted the Copa América trophy to the 21,000 fans present. He stated "I've waited a long time for this, I went for it, and I dreamt about it. It’s a unique moment for the way it came about, after waiting so long."[571]
Despite receiving a knee injury against Lyon in Ligue 1 and missing two matches for PSG, Messi would still be called up for the next round of qualifiers against Paraguay, Uruguay and Peru in October.[572] He scored the first goal in the qualifier against Uruguay on 10 October in a 3–0 home win from a 35-metre pass into the area that missed both his striker Nicolás González and the opposing goalkeeper, sneaking into the net instead.[573][574] The next round of qualifiers in November saw Messi recovering from another knee injury, this time received against Lille. As such, Messi played only 15 minutes in another qualifier against Uruguay on 12 November during a 1–0 away win so that he could be rested enough to play the next game. Argentina would draw that match 0–0 at home against Brazil on 16 November, but it would be enough to secure a spot in the World Cup with five matches remaining in the qualifiers.[575][576]
Messi would miss the first qualifiers of 2022 against Chile and Colombia after testing positive for COVID-19.[577] He would return for the qualifiers in March 2022 against Venezuela and Ecuador, and would score in the first game, in a 3–0 home victory.[578] The final qualifying game against Brazil that was previously rescheduled due to COVID violations was eventually cancelled due to both teams already qualifying for the World Cup.[579] Argentina would end the qualifiers undefeated but placed second in their group, with Messi scoring 7 goals in 15 qualifiers played.[580][581]
2022 Finalissima
Winning the 2021 Copa América allowed Messi and Argentina to participate in the 2022 Finalissima, the third edition of the CONMEBOL–UEFA Cup of Champions and first in 29 years. The match was played against UEFA Euro 2020 winners Italy at Wembley Stadium in London, England on 1 June 2022. Messi played the entire match, assisting twice in a 3–0 victory. This secured Messi's second trophy for Argentina at the senior level, and he was named Player of the Match.[582]
2022 FIFA World Cup
Entering the 2022 FIFA World Cup, held in Qatar, Argentina were amongst the favourites to win the tournament, having been unbeaten in the previous 36 matches, one short of Italy for the longest-ever unbeaten run by a national team.[580][549] Messi had led the team to dominant victories by scoring ten goals in the four friendlies leading up to the competition, including all five goals in a 5–0 win over Estonia on 5 June, the first time he had managed this feat for the national team.[583][584] However, in the opening group stage game on 22 November against Saudi Arabia, one of the tournament's lowest-ranked teams, Argentina would lose 2–1 in one of the greatest upsets in World Cup history.[585] Messi scored the first goal with a penalty, becoming the first Argentine to score at four different World Cups, but second half goals by Saleh Al-Shehri and Salem Al-Dawsari secured Argentina's loss.[586] The loss also broke Argentina's unbeaten streak and put them on the brink of elimination after only one game.[586]
In the next must-win match against Mexico on 26 November, both sides ended the first half goalless. Had the result held, Argentina would have been at the bottom of their group. During the second half, Messi scored with a low 25-yard strike to give Argentina the lead. He would then provide the assist for Enzo Fernández's goal in their 2–0 victory. Messi became the first player to register an assist at five World Cup tournaments, and became both the youngest and oldest player to score and assist in a single World Cup game.[587][588] During the first half of the last group stage match against Poland on 30 November, Polish goalkeeper Wojciech Szczęsny attempted to clear the ball from the box but collided with Messi, drawing a penalty for Argentina that Messi would miss. However, goals from Julián Alvarez and Alexis Mac Allister in the second half ensured a 2–0 victory for Argentina, topping their group in the process and advancing to the knockout stage. The match marked his 22nd World Cup appearance, overtaking Maradona for the most by an Argentine.[589]
Against Australia in the round of 16 on 3 December, Messi scored the opening goal in Argentina's 2–1 win in what was his 1,000th senior career appearance.[590] He also became the most-capped male South American footballer of all time with 169 appearances, surpassing the previous record set by Ecuador's Iván Hurtado.[591] During the quarter-final against the Netherlands on 9 December, Messi assisted Argentina's first goal for right-back Nahuel Molina with a reverse pass and then scored a penalty as the game finished 2–2 after extra time. Argentina won 4–3 in the penalty shootout, with Messi scoring the first penalty.[592] In the semi-final against Croatia on 13 December, he scored the opening goal with a penalty before he assisted Argentina's third goal scored by Álvarez in a 3–0 win;[593] with his 11th World Cup goal, Messi overtook Batistuta to become Argentina's all-time top scorer at the World Cup.[594] He also became the first player to both score and assist in four separate World Cup matches.[595] Argentina advanced to the final against defending champions France, with Messi stating that it would be his final World Cup appearance.[596][597]
The 2022 FIFA World Cup final against France at Lusail Stadium on 18 December is widely regarded as one of the most dramatic and exciting World Cup finals and one the greatest football matches in the history of the sport.[598][599][600] Media coverage heavily framed it as a duel between Messi and his PSG teammate, France forward Kylian Mbappé.[601][602][603] Messi scored the opening goal with a penalty, and Ángel Di María would add to Argentina's lead later in the first half from a counter-attack goal that began with Messi. In the second half, Mbappé would erase Argentina's lead by scoring two goals within minutes, leaving the match tied 2–2 at the end of regular time. Messi would score again in the second half of extra time to restore Argentina's lead, but France again drew level thanks to a penalty scored by Mbappé. Tied 3–3 at the end of extra time, the match went to a penalty shootout. Messi scored first for his side, and immediately after Gonzalo Montiel scored the winning penalty for Argentina a few rounds later, Messi collapsed to his knees in the centre circle and raised his arms before being engulfed by his teammates.[604] Argentina won the shootout 4–2, ending the nation's 36-year wait for the World Cup Trophy.[605]
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With this World Cup triumph, Messi had won every top tier trophy at both club and country levels available to him. The tournament has been considered exceptionally poetic as the capstone of his career, with the win fulfilling for some commentators a previously unmet criterion to be regarded as the greatest player of all time.[606] He received the Golden Ball for player of the tournament, becoming the oldest player to win the award and the first to win it twice, finished second in the Golden Boot race with seven goals, one behind Mbappé, and recorded three assists.[607][608] Messi was named Player of the Match in five of the seven matches, including all four in the knockout stage, becoming the player with the outright most Player of the Match awards since it was introduced in 2002.[609] Messi’s appearance in the final marked his 26th World Cup match, surpassing Germany's Lothar Matthäus as the player with the most appearances in the tournament.[610] His two goals in the final saw him become the first player since the round of 16 was introduced in 1986 to score a goal in every round of a single World Cup, while overtaking Pelé as the player with the most goal contributions at the World Cup (21 – 13 goals and 8 assists) and Ronaldo as the player with the most goals at major international tournaments (26 – 13 goals at the World Cup and 13 goals at the Copa América).[611][612][613][614] He also became the oldest player to score multiple goals in a World Cup final and the oldest player to score in a winning final.[615] Additionally, Messi scored a total of 18 international goals during the 2022 calendar year, an Argentina record.[616]
Following the game, Messi confirmed that he had no plans to retire from the national team, saying "I want to continue playing as a champion".[617] He and the national team returned to Argentina two days later on 20 December in the early hours, where they were greeted by thousands of fans. The government declared it a national holiday to celebrate the win, and a parade was planned later that day. However, with attendance estimated to be 4 million, the players were transferred from their parade bus to a helicopter to complete their route to the Obelisco de Buenos Aires.[618]
2023–present: Later years
Messi and the national team returned to the pitch as world champions three months after the final for two friendlies in Argentina. These matches were scheduled to allow the team to celebrate their World Cup victory with their fans and compatriots.[619] Messi scored his 800th senior career goal for club and country in the first friendly, on 23 March 2023 at the Estadio Monumental in Buenos Aires, with a free kick in Argentina's 2–0 win over Panama.[620] After the match, Messi gave a speech where he thanked the fans, lifted the World Cup Trophy in front of them, and took a victory lap around the stadium to wave to them with his teammates as fireworks were set off in the sky.[621][622] In the second friendly against Curaçao on 28 March at the Estadio Único Madre de Ciudades in Santiago del Estero, Messi scored a first half hat-trick and recorded an assist in a 7–0 win; the first goal saw him reach 100 international goals. The Argentine Football Association honoured Messi for reaching this milestone after the match, as he became the third player and the first South American player in history to accomplish this feat, and after this Messi would hoist the World Cup Trophy in front of the fans one final time.[623][619]
Messi began Argentina's 2026 World Cup qualification campaign with a goal from a late free kick against Ecuador on 7 September during a 1–0 victory, but he would be rested in the next qualifier, a 3–0 victory against Bolivia at the Estadio Hernando Siles on 12 September, due to feeling unwell.[624][625] A brace scored in a 2–0 away win over Peru at the Estadio Nacional de Lima during a qualifier on 17 October made Messi the outright all-time top goalscorer in CONMEBOL World Cup qualifiers with 31 goals, surpassing the previous record of 29 goals held by Luis Suárez.[626]
2024 Copa América
Messi would miss Argentina's first two friendlies against El Salvador and Costa Rica in March 2024 due to a hamstring injury he sustained against Nashville SC in the 2024 CONCACAF Champions Cup.[627] He would return in the two subsequent friendlies in June against Ecuador and Guatemala; a brace scored by Messi in the latter game on 14 June for a 4–1 win saw him go level with Iran's Ali Daei as the second-highest international goalscorer of all time.[628][629] The next day, Messi was included in the 26-man squad of Argentina for the 2024 Copa América, held in the United States.[630]
In the opening match of the tournament on 21 June, Messi assisted Lautaro Martínez's goal in a 2–0 win over Canada.[631] It was his 35th Copa América match, which broke the tournament record, surpassing Chile's Sergio Livingstone.[632] During the 1–0 victory in the next match against Chile on 25 June, Messi slightly injured his right hamstring during the first half.[633] The win ensured that Argentina would top their group and advance to the knockout stage. As a result, Messi would be rested in the next match against Peru on 29 June, citing discomfort in his hamstring.[634] Argentina would win the game without Messi in a 2–0 victory.[635]
On 4 July, in the quarter-final against Ecuador, following a 1–1 draw after 90 minutes, Messi missed his side's first penalty in the ensuing shootout, but Argentina advanced following a 4–2 victory.[636] In the semi-final against Canada on 9 July, Messi scored the second goal in his team's 2–0 win; this marked Messi's only goal of the tournament while also making him the second-highest international goalscorer outright with 109 total goals.[637] By scoring in his 6th edition, Messi equalled the record held by Brazil's Zizinho for the most Copa América tournaments scored in, and became the first player to score against 10 different opponents in the competition’s history.[638][639] The semi-final victory was Messi’s 24th Copa América win, overtaking Zizinho's previous record of 23 wins.[640]
On 14 July, Messi started the 2024 Copa América final against Colombia, his 39th and likely final Copa América appearance, but was substituted in the 66th minute after suffering a severe injury on his right ankle's ligament and was seen in tears on the bench.[641][391] However, Argentina eventually won the match 1–0 after Lautaro Martínez scored in extra time, clinching the tournament.[642] With the victory, Messi lifted Argentina’s record-breaking 16th Copa América win, and his third major international tournament title as captain.[642] The triumph also brought Messi's team trophy total to 44, making him the most decorated player of all time.[9][11] Messi would not return to Argentina to celebrate the tournament victory with his teammates, instead remaining in Miami to receive treatment for his injured ankle.[643] He was subsequently named in the team of the tournament.[644]
2026 FIFA World Cup qualification
Due to his injury in the 2024 Copa América final, Messi would not be called up for the Argentina squad in the World Cup qualifiers against Chile and Colombia during September 2024.[645] After recovering from the injury, he was called up again in October to play the qualifiers.[646] In the second qualifier against Bolivia on 15 October, Messi scored a hat-trick, his tenth for Argentina, and provided two assists in a 6–0 home victory; he became the first player to score three hat-tricks in CONMEBOL World Cup qualifiers.[647] On 19 November, Messi delivered a cross to Lautaro Martínez, who struck a precise volley to score the lone goal in a 1–0 home win over Peru. Messi's assist marked his 58th for Argentina, going level with USMNT's Landon Donovan for the most international assists in history.[648][649]
Messi would miss the first two qualifying matches of 2025 against Uruguay and Brazil in March. Media reports said it was due to a muscle injury suffered against Atlanta United, but the Argentine Football Association did not disclose the reason for his absence.[650] Argentina would win both matches without Messi and become the first South American country to secure World Cup qualification.[651][652]
Notes
- According to FC Barcelona,[1] FIFA,[2] Major League Soccer,[3] the Royal Spanish Football Federation,[4] and multiple media outlets,[5][6][7] Messi also won the 2005 Supercopa de España, bringing his Barcelona trophy total to 35—and his career total to 46.[8] However, this particular trophy is not credited here since Messi was out of the squad and did not feature in any of the two games against Real Betis.[9][10]
- Assist statistics began in 1990.
References
Sources
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