Lionel Messi has broken the all-time record for most appearances at Copa America.
The Inter Miami star, 36, started the opening game of the 2024 tournament — a 2-0 win for Argentina over Canada — to break the tie with legendary Chile goalkeeper Sergio Livingstone.
Messi’s appearance on Thursday night in Atlanta is a 35th across seven tournaments following his first in 2007.
He has made no fewer than four appearances at every edition since, including seven as Argentina won the title — Messi’s first — in 2021.
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Livingstone was a goalkeeper for Chile, who made 34 appearances across six editions of the tournament between 1941 and 1953.
Messi has 183 caps for his country, has scored 108 goals and added 56 assists — all Argentine records.
He has 13 Copa America goals, four shy of the record of Brazil’s Zizinho and Messi’s countryman, Norberto Mendez, that has stood since 1957.
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Messi is bidding to win a third tournament as a senior international after following the 2021 Copa America by captaining Argentina to the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
He also won an Olympic gold medal as an under-23 at the Beijing Games in 2008.
Julian Alvarez and Lautaro Martinez scored the goals at Mercedes-Benz Stadium as Argentina started the tournament with victory.
They next face Chile, on June 25, before closing out the group against Peru on June 29.
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Lionel Messi in the U.S., a legend knowing 'there’s not a lot of time left'
(Charly Triballeau/AFP via Getty Images)
