Superstar Lionel Messi stays on course to break records this summer as he continues to shine on the football field. Approaching his 37th birthday, Messi is considered a seasoned player but shows no signs of slowing down. He has been included in the preliminary list for this year’s Copa America, the most prestigious South American team-level tournament. Barring any injuries, Messi is expected to compete in the tournament and has the opportunity to surpass several records. One notable record is becoming the top scorer in Copa America history. With 13 goals to his name, Messi is not far off from Zizinho, the current record-holder with 17 goals. If Messi maintains his form from the recent 2022 World Cup, where he scored 8 goals, he could potentially equal or even surpass Zizinho’s record. This summer promises to be an exciting one for Messi and his fans as he aims to leave his mark on the tournament.
The phenomenal player Messi has scored a total of 13 goals for Argentina in the Copa America tournament. He shares the title of the player with the most appearances in Copa America matches with goalkeeper Sergio Livingstone from Chile, both having played in 34 matches. With Livingstone retired, Messi only needs to play in one more match to hold the record all to himself in the next tournament.
Argentinian players hold the record for the most appearances in Copa America tournaments. If Lionel Messi participates in this year’s event, he will have played in 7 different Copa America tournaments, surpassing the previous record. In the past, Copa America was held annually or biennially, resulting in two players, Ángel Romano from Uruguay and Álex Aguinaga from Ecuador, who participated in the tournament 8 times. To match this record, Messi will have to compete in the 2028 Copa America when he is 41 years old. Scoring the most goals in a single Copa America tournament is a challenging record for Messi to break. Currently, the record of 9 goals in a single tournament is shared by Jair from Brazil, Humberto Maschio from Argentina, and Javier Ambrois from Uruguay. Achieving this feat would require Messi to score at least 1.5 goals per match, which is a difficult task in modern football. If Messi manages to win the Best Player award at this year’s Copa America, he will make history by becoming the first player to win the prestigious prize two years in a row. In the previous Copa America in 2021, Messi claimed the Best Player award after leading Argentina to victory in the tournament.
Messi led Argentina to victory in the Copa America 2021, claiming the title of the tournament’s best player. He is also currently the sixth player to have scored the most hat-tricks in Copa America history. Just one more hat-trick will see Messi join the exclusive list of players who have achieved this feat at Copa America. Currently, only 10 players have managed to score three or more goals in two matches at the tournament. When it comes to contributing to international goals, Messi finds himself in a tight competition with his longtime rival, Ronaldo. After playing 208 matches for his national team, Ronaldo has directly contributed to 163 goals, scoring 128 times and providing 35 assists. On the other hand, Messi has contributed to 159 goals with 106 goals and 53 assists. With just a four-goal difference between them, Messi will have the chance to close the gap with Ronaldo this summer as both stars compete in their respective national teams at Euro 2024.
