Would you believe that a lot of football fans doubted Lionel Messi because he had not won the World Cup with Argentina. If there was any doubt that has been dispelled for good but lets look at his stats
Lets look at the list of honours – a quite staggering array of them
List of honours
Barcelona
- La Liga: 2004–05, 2005–06, 2008–09, 2009–10, 2010–11, 2012–13, 2014–15, 2015–16, 2017–18, 2018–19
- Copa del Rey: 2008–09, 2011–12, 2014–15, 2015–16, 2016–17, 2017–18, 2020–21
- Supercopa de España: 2006, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2016, 2018
- UEFA Champions League: 2005–06, 2008–09, 2010–11, 2014–15
- UEFA Super Cup: 2009, 2011, 2015
- FIFA Club World Cup: 2009, 2011, 2015
Paris Saint-Germain
- Ligue 1: 2021–22
- Trophée des Champions: 2022
Argentina U20
- FIFA World Youth Championship: 2005
Argentina U23
- Summer Olympics: 2008
Argentina
- FIFA World Cup: 2022
- Copa América: 2021
- CONMEBOL–UEFA Cup of Champions: 2022
Individual
- Ballon d’Or/FIFA Ballon d’Or: 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2019, 2021
- FIFA World Player of the Year: 2009
- The Best FIFA Men’s Player: 2019
- European Golden Shoe: 2009–10, 2011–12, 2012–13, 2016–17, 2017–18, 2018–19
- FIFA World Cup Golden Ball: 2014, 2022
- FIFA Club World Cup Golden Ball: 2009, 2011
- Laureus World Sportsman of the Year: 2020
- La Liga Best Player: 2008–09, 2009–10, 2010–11, 2011–12, 2012–13, 2014–15
- Pichichi Trophy: 2009−10, 2011–12, 2012−13, 2016–17, 2017−18, 2018–19, 2019–20, 2020–21
- Argentine Footballer of the Year: 2005, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2019, 2020, 2021
Now lets look at goals and appearances
His career total at club level is
| Career total | 863 appearances | 706 goals |
|---|
His total for Argentina at all levels is
| Career total | 195 appearances | 114 goals |
|---|
Of course this do not even do justice to his contribution for club and country, setting up countless chances for others.
Lets take a look at his world cup
Messi scored a penalty in Argentina’s opening game, a 2–1 defeat to Saudi Arabia, before scoring with a low 20-yard strike in their next match against Mexico in which Argentina won 2–0, also recording an assist on Enzo Fernández’s goal.
In the last 16 game against Australia, Messi scored the opening goal in Argentina’s 2–1 win in what was his 1,000th senior career appearance,and he also became the most-capped male South American footballer of all time, beating the previous record set by Iván Hurtado of Ecuador, combined with surpassing and equalling several other FIFA World Cup and national team related records.
In the quarter-final against the Netherlands, Messi assisted Argentina’s first goal for 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 and Messi scored the first penalty.
In the semi-final against Croatia, Messi made a record-equalling 25th World Cup finals appearance, drawing level with Lothar Matthäu of Germany, and he also scored the opening goal with a penalty before he assisted Argentina’s third goal which was scored by Julián Álvarez in a 3–0 win.
Messi made his record 26th World Cup finals appearance and won the World Cup with Argentina following a 4–2 penalty shoot-out victory over France at Lusail Stadium after a 3–3 draw in extra-time which ended Argentina’s 36-year long wait for the trophy. Messi scored two goals and also converted his penalty in the shoot-out. He was also prominently involved in the second goal being involved in the build up for Di Maria’s goal.
With seven goals in seven games, Messi became the first player to score in each round of a World Cup since the last-16 round was introduced in 1986, and he received the Golden Ball for player of the tournament, becoming the first player to win it twice
The debate if there ever was one is done – he is and always is a true great
