2005 U-20 World Cup glory
Long before the senior team, an 18-year-old Messi inspired Argentina to the U-20 World Cup, scoring in every knockout round and netting both goals in a 2-1 final win over Nigeria. He finished with six goals, winning the Golden Ball and Golden Boot.
2008 Olympic gold
Messi was part of the Argentina squad that beat Nigeria 1-0 in the final to win gold at the Beijing Olympics, an early piece of silverware before the senior trophy drought began to bite.
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2014 World Cup final run
Messi inspired Argentina all the way to the World Cup final in Brazil, where they lost to Germany in extra time. He was awarded the Golden Ball as the tournament’s best player despite the defeat.
Ending the 28 year wait – 2021 Copa América
Argentina beat Brazil 1-0 at the Maracanã to win the Copa América, Messi’s first senior trophy with the national team after years of heartbreak in finals. He was named the tournament’s best player and finished as top assist provider.
Finalissima glory at Wembley in 2022
Messi set up two of Argentina’s three goals as they beat European champions Italy 3-0 at Wembley, adding another trophy and extending Argentina’s unbeaten run to 32 games ahead of the World Cup.
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2022 World Cup semi-final
In the semi-final win over Croatia, Messi turned defender Josko Gvardiol inside out with a mesmerising run down the right before setting up Julian Alvarez for Argentina’s third goal, one of the standout individual moments of his career.
A World Cup at last – Qatar 2022
Messi scored twice, including the opener from the penalty spot, as Argentina beat France 4-2 on penalties after an extraordinary 3-3 draw in the final. He also scored in the shootout, finally winning the one trophy that had eluded him, and was named the tournament’s best player for a record second time.
2024 Copa América
Messi added a second Copa América title with Argentina, extending the team’s era of dominance under Lionel Scaloni.
The Algeria hat-trick – 2026 World Cup
On his 200th international appearance, and 20 years to the day since his first World Cup goal, Messi scored a hat-trick against Algeria at 38 years old, becoming the oldest player to score a World Cup hat-trick and drawing level with Miroslav Klose’s all-time World Cup scoring record of 16 goals.
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A third World Cup final in 2026
Messi captained Argentina to a second consecutive World Cup final, extending his own record for the most World Cup appearances by any player before Argentina were beaten 1-0 by Spain in extra time, closing out his international career on the game’s biggest stage.
Photo: REUTERS/Carl Recine
