Lionel Messi is five goals away from another record.
The 36-year-old is about to play in what is expected to be his final Copa America for Argentina, 16 years after his first. While there, he hopes to become the highest goalscorer in the tournament’s history.
He has 13 goals in the tournament already, the first against Peru in 2007 and the latest against Chile in 2021 on his way to winning his first major international trophy with Argentina.
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With four more, he will draw level with Brazil’s Zizinho and Messi’s countryman Norberto Mendez to tie a record that has stood since 1957. With five, he will stand alone at the top.
In anticipation of more this summer, The Athletic looked back through every goal he has scored at the tournament to examine the evolution of one of football’s greats…
How to follow the European Championship and Copa America on The Athletic…
Argentina 4-0 Peru, 2007
At this stage, he was more of a final-third player than the playmaker-creator-finisher he became, often profiting from chances made by his more experienced team-mates. On this occasion, the assist came from Juan Roman Riquelme, one of Messi’s footballing idols.
The former Boca Juniors and Barcelona No 10 spotted the run of Messi, who was attacking the centre space from the right wing.
Riquelme slid the pass into Messi’s path, and Messi controlled it with the outside of his left foot, with the Peru goalkeeper quickly closing the space.
Messi could have passed it to Carlos Tevez, but instead calmly passed through the ‘keeper’s legs and into the net before linking arms with Tevez and celebrating as a trio with Riquelme.
Argentina 3-0 Mexico, 2007
After receiving a pass from Esteban Cambiasso, Javier Zanetti whipped a 30-yard pass into Tevez, who does well to bring it under his control. Tevez feeds Messi, who was unmarked and in space on the right wing — possibly the first and only time this has ever happened.
Messi takes the ball onto his left foot with his first touch and graciously picks out the far corner with a lob over Oswaldo Sanchez in the Mexico goal.
One of Leo Messi’s more under-the-radar goals is this unreal chip vs. Mexico at the 2007 Copa América 🍿
(via @CopaAmerica) pic.twitter.com/N4RduaFk1M
— B/R Football (@brfootball) February 10, 2023
Deciding to shoot from an acute angle, catching the goalkeeper off guard with a looping effort near the corner of the 18-yard box, makes this goal particularly special.
This semi-final goal helped Argentina to a 3-0 win, setting up a tie against old foes Brazil in the final. While it was only his second goal at the tournament, it is arguably still his best.
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Argentina 2-2 Paraguay, 2015
Somewhat astonishingly, Messi did not score in 2011 despite Argentina hosting the tournament. His next would come in a 2-2 group stage draw with Paraguay in 2015.
Like his first, the goal to end the eight-year drought at the tournament will not live long in the memory. This was from the penalty spot, where Messi has sometimes struggled for Argentina in the biggest moments, but he was composed and technically reliable here.
To beat Antony Silva in the Peru goal, Messi staggered his run-up, dragging his trailing right foot before making contact with the ball. At this stage, Messi does not seem as confident in his penalty-taking technique as he would later become, as he only quickly glances up at the goalkeeper to read his movement, and, by that time, it seems Messi was set on shooting into the bottom-right corner anyway.
The goalkeeper guessed correctly, but the placement and power of the shot were too good for him to get near.
Argentina 5-0 Panama, 2016, 1 of 3
For the first in a hat-trick against Panama, Messi profited from some hilarious good fortune.
Panama defender Roderick Miller tries to clear the ball from the edge of the box, but his mishit effort cannoned back off Gonzalo Higuain’s face and into the path of Messi.
With Miller trailing behind him, Messi takes one touch out of his feet and into the 18-yard box before curling a left-footed effort past Jaime Penedo in the Panama goal.
Argentina 5-0 Panama, 2016, 2 of 3
Around 25 yards from goal, it would take something special from Messi to beat Penedo from an awkward angle.
He took a short run-up with one setting step before a proper, in-rhythm step ahead of whipping his left foot around the ball. With pace and bend, it flies over the wall and towards the corner.
Despite Penedo getting an outstretched hand on the curling ball, he cannot prevent it from nestling in the net. It was a trademark example of Messi’s genius, and it may not even be his best set-piece goal from the 2016 Centenario edition.
Argentina 5-0 Panama, 2016, 3 of 3
Marcos Rojo strolled into the middle of the pitch from left-back with several passing options ahead of him. He opts for an unmarked Messi, who takes one touch into the box.
Messi is quickly converged upon by Felipe Baloy in the heart of Panama’s defence, but sells Baloy before cutting back onto his stronger left. He then curled a left-footed shot around the goalkeeper.
Argentina 4-1 Venezuela, 2016
Here, Argentina caught Venezuela in transition led by Messi, Higuain and Nico Gaitan.
Messi drove the ball into the final third and picked out Gaitan, who now plays for the Chicago Fire in MLS. Gaitan took one touch towards the box and returned a pass for Messi ahead of his run and into space behind Oswaldo Vizcarrondo in the Venezuela defence.
With only the goalkeeper to beat, Messi took a touch with his left foot, bringing the ball closer to the six-yard box, and slid a shot through Dani Hernandez’s legs and into the goal.
Argentina 4-0 USA, 2016
If Messi’s brilliant second goal at Copa America has competition for his best of the tournament, this is it.
More than 25 yards from goal and on an angle that would favour a right-footer, the chances of Messi converting from this position are very slim.
With so much distance from the goal, convention would suggest attempting a shot over the wall. There is plenty of space to get the shot up and down while retaining the power needed to beat Brad Guzan in the USMNT net, and owing to the goalkeeper’s position on the other side of the goal, there is a larger target to aim at.
Instead of going over the wall, he ferociously whipped an effort that needed to be perfect to score.
Anticipating it going the other way, Guzan took a step to his right, and by the time he realised the shot was directed towards his other post, it was too late. The ball is placed exactly in the space between the post and crossbar, sometimes referred to as the “upper 90”, with Guzan’s diving effort proving no match for Messi’s left foot. With this finish, Messi became Argentina’s record goalscorer.
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Argentina 1-1 Paraguay, 2019
Having lost 2-0 to Colombia in the first game of the group stage, this was a pressure penalty for Messi, with Argentina trailing by one goal to Paraguay.
Here, he did not look at the goalkeeper at all before firing into the net. Messi took three steps back from the ball, put his head down and charged towards it, signalling he would prioritise power over accuracy.
Messi fired towards the bottom-right corner, with Paraguay goalkeeper Gatito Fernandez failing to stop it.
Argentina 4-1 Bolivia, 2021, 1 of 2
Before Messi changed his penalty-taking technique during the 2022 World Cup, it was seen as one of the weaker areas of his otherwise spotless game. Messi tends to take two types of penalties, one with a slower run-up and one where he sprints towards the ball.
For those penalties with a slower run-up, he very rarely aims for the top corner. For the others, he often does. This is one with a slower run-up, suggesting he will aim either for one of the bottom corners or the middle of the goal with a delicate chip.
The slower run-up puts the ball in the goalkeeper’s court. If the goalkeeper moves before the taker shoots, the taker should place it in the opposite direction. If the goalkeeper does not move until the shot is taken, he will struggle to generate the physical momentum to dive towards the ball if it is placed well in the corner. Brentford and England striker Ivan Toney is a master of this technique, as was former Belgium attacker Eden Hazard, and is arguably the most effective route to goal from 12 yards if executed properly.
Here, Messi approaches the ball slowly, waiting for Bolivia goalkeeper Carlos Lampe to commit to either side. Just as Messi is taking his final step towards the ball, Lampe puts his body weight towards his left side before quickly shifting it towards his right.
Messi keeps his eye on the goalkeeper throughout the run-up and places his shot in Lampe’s bottom-left corner.
The goalkeeper is unable to shift his body weight back towards his left side and collapses in the middle of the goal, while Messi’s shot travels to the corner.
Argentina 4-1 Bolivia, 2021, 2 of 2
This is a rare role-reversal for Sergio Aguero and Messi, with the former turning creator for his team-mate. Aguero dropped onto the halfway line and received a pass from the defence before he turned and spotted the run of Messi, who was darting into space beyond the Bolivia back line.
Aguero weighted a lofted pass perfectly between the defender and Lampe, allowing Messi to reach the ball in the ideal spot to loft a shot over Lampe and into the Bolivia net.
It’s an elementary skill for a player with 106 international goals. He then wheeled away to celebrate with Aguero.
Argentina 3-0 Ecuador, 2021
If it is not already clear, Messi is among the greatest free-kick takers ever. But even he needs a little help sometimes.
Despite it being closer to goal than any other free-kick on this list, Messi’s job is actually made harder. Normally, the optimal distance to get a shot over the wall and down in time to score is around 22 yards. At 18 yards, this is much more challenging.
The options are: a chip over the wall; a driven effort between Jhegson Mendez and Pervis Estupinan on the right edge of the wall; or relying on Nico Otamendi, Lautaro Martinez and Marcos Acuna to split quickly enough to shoot in the gap they vacate.
Thankfully (for their and Messi’s sakes), they managed to get out of the way of Messi’s shot, which was destined for their heads.
It was also destined for Ecuador’s top corner, with goalkeeper Hernan Galindez getting nowhere near the ball.
Argentina 1-1 Chile, 2021
A little further away from his effort against Ecuador later on in this list, but closer and at a much kinder angle than his stunner against USMNT, this one is veritably “free-kick distance”.
Giovani Lo Celso, Otamendi and Martinez take position to disrupt Chile’s wall, but the effect is partly negated due to Gary Medel standing right behind them. Messi has two options: bend around the wall or shoot over the wall, towards the top-right corner.
Messi picked out the side netting in the top right corner with aplomb, beating former Barcelona team-mate Claudio Bravo.
⚽️ ¡Tremendo Messi! El capitán de @Argentina metió un golazo ante Chile 👏🏼👏🏼
🇦🇷 Argentina 🆚 Chile 🇨🇱#VibraElContinente #VibraOContinente pic.twitter.com/kvViiLcoam
— CONMEBOL Copa América™️ (@CopaAmerica) June 14, 2021
It is the most recent of his 13 Copa America goals and one of his finest.
GO DEEPER
Lionel Messi: The evolution of the greatest footballer of all time
(Top photo: Messi scoring against USMNT in 2016; by Bob Levey via Getty Images)
