How many international goals has Messi scored? Comparing his record to Ronaldo in 2021

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Will Messi play in the semifinal?
Will Messi play in the semifinal?

Lionel Messi is arguably the greatest footballer to ever live and has made a name for himself terrorizing defenders while at Barcelona. But how many international goals has Messi scored for Argentina? Alley Sport brings you the latest figures as we compare his record to Ronaldo in 2021.

How many international goals has Messi scored?

Lionel Messi has scored 76 goals for Argentina in 149 games. His most recent goal came against Ecuador on July 3, 2021, in a 3-0 Copa America win.

Messi’s first goal for Argentina came during his 6th cap for the country. He scored in a 2-3 loss against Croatia on 1st March 2006 in a friendly. He scored his 50th goal a little over 10 years late against Bolivia in a FIFA World Cup qualifiers match in March 2016.

Argentine have also not lost any game where Messi has scored since December 2009. The Argentine was a big part of La Abiceleste squad that made the 2014 FIFA World Cup final, as he scored against Bosnia and Herzegovina, Nigeria, and Iran. He has 6 hat-tricks to his name as well and his last goal against a European side came against Croatia in November 2014.

How many international goals has Messi scored? Comparing his record to Ronaldo in 2021
How many international goals has Messi scored? Image Credit: Getty

How many international goals has Messi scored? Ronaldo vs Messi international goals in 2021

The Argentine forward might be the most talented footballer to ever live, but he trails Cristiano Ronaldo significantly when it comes to international goals. The Portugal international broke the record for most international goals against Ireland on Wednesday.

He netted two late goals to score his 110th and 111th goals for Portugal, thus overtaking Ali Daei’s long-standing 109 goals for Iran. Messi, on the other hand, has 35 fewer goals. While Ronaldo has played 180 international matches for Portugal, the Argentine has played in 149 games.

That means Ronaldo scores at an average of about 0.616 goals per game while Messi nets at the rate of 0.51 goals per game. In all fairness, South America has quality over quantity when it comes to international teams.

How many international goals has Messi scored? Does he have more goals than Ronaldo?
How many international goals has Messi scored? Does he have more goals than Ronaldo?

How many penalties has Messi scored for Argentina?

Lionel Messi has scored 17 penalties for the senior Argentina team and has missed 4 spot-kicks during that time. Ronaldo has a worse penalty record as compared to Messi, having scored 14 and missing 7 kicks.

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Bhaawan

Writing for the love of the game!