Across six World Cups, Lionel Messi has scored 21 goals for Argentina, a tally that made him the tournament’s all-time leading scorer. Here is how that total built up tournament by tournament.
2006: The Debut Goal
Messi scored his first World Cup goal at just 18 years old, coming on as a substitute in Argentina’s 6-0 win over Serbia and Montenegro, immediately signaling the talent that would define the next two decades of the tournament.
2010: A Goalless Tournament
Despite five appearances and heavy involvement in Argentina’s play, Messi did not find the net at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, though he provided an assist as Argentina reached the quarterfinals before losing to Germany.
2014: Four Goals and a Golden Ball
Messi scored four goals during the group stage as Argentina advanced to the final, where the team lost to Germany. Despite the runner-up finish, Messi won the tournament’s Golden Ball as its best player, becoming the first player to win the award without lifting the trophy.
2018: A Milestone Strike
Messi’s goal against Nigeria in the group stage made him the only player in World Cup history to score in his teens, twenties and thirties, a record that stood as one of the tournament’s more understated individual achievements.
2022: Seven Goals and the Trophy
Messi scored seven goals during Argentina’s triumphant 2022 campaign in Qatar, including a decisive contribution in the final against France, finally securing the World Cup title that had eluded him throughout his career and earning his second Golden Ball.
2026: Eight Goals and Counting
Messi opened his sixth World Cup with a hat-trick against Algeria, becoming the oldest player to score a World Cup hat-trick. He added two goals against Austria and one against Jordan, before scoring in both the Round of 32 win over Cape Verde and the Round of 16 comeback against Egypt, reaching eight goals for the tournament.
Across all six editions, Messi’s 21 career World Cup goals stand as the benchmark against which future generations of players will be measured.