SEATTLE - After 20 years of dominating the world of 'fútbol,' there aren't that many things left for Lionel Messi to achieve at club and international level.
The Argentina captain will arrive to Copa América 2024 in great form thanks to his terrific start to the 2024 MLS campaign where he has scored 12 and assisted in 13 other goals in just 12 games played for Inter Miami.
Messi, who won his first trophy with Argentina during Copa América 2021, has been the difference maker for Inter Miami this season. His 25 goal contributions have helped the Herons to a first place in the Western Conference and has set a good amount of records ever since arriving to MLS last summer.
Copa América 2024 will be another chance for Messi to keep on setting records and add another trophy to his already stacked cabinet.
When Argentina takes on Canada on June 20 at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia, Messi will become the player with the most games played at the competition. He is currently tied with Chilean Sergio Livingstone with 34 matches played over six tournaments. At the 'Albiceleste' level, Messi has already played eight more Copa América games than any other Argentine in history.
With the record of most appearances pretty much in the bag, Messi will be looking to add a few more as Argentina tries to defend its title as reigning champions.
Out of the players set to participate in this year's edition, Messi sits only one goal away from Eduardo Vargas from Chile as the active player with the most goals scored in Copa América. He is also just four goals shy from the all-time record set by fellow contryman Norberto Méndez, who scored a total of 17 goals for Argentina in the 1940's.
The former Barcelona and PSG superstar finished the 2021 edition as the top scorer, tied in goals with Colombian Luis Díaz with four each. The last player to finish as the top scorer in consecutive editions was Vargas, topping the charts in 2015 and 2016.
Copa América 2024 will be Messi's seventh appearance at the continental competition, and in his 34 games played at the tournament, Messi has directly participated in 31 goals. His 17 assists are Copa América record.
If he is able to gave another great Copa América, Messi will have a serious case at winning the award for best player of the tournament. Argentina's iconic No.10 has already earned that recognition twice in his career, finishing as the best player in 2015 and 2021. If he wins it again in 2024, he would become the first player in Copa América history to be named best player in three different editions.
Both Messi and Argentina have been on a roll ever since the start of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. After losing their opening match against Saudi Arabia, Argentina has only lost one game. In that span, Lionel Scaloni's team has 16 wins and two draws, with the only loss coming against Uruguay in a World Cup Qualifying game.
That record becomes even better if we go back to the last time Argentina lost a Copa América game. After losing 2-0 against Brazil in the 2019 semifinals, the 'Albiceleste' has only lost twice in its last 55 games played in all competitions (41-2-12 W-L-D).
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