Lionel Messi is an Argentine legend, a FIFA World Cup and a treble winner and a player with nine Ballon d’Or trophies.
Though he did not have a performance to remember in his most recent match – a 2-2 draw with Palmeiras, where he could not assist or score a goal – his presence on the field has often been the difference in a career that has spanned over two decades.
At the international level, he is Argentina’s record goalscorer. After agonisingly missing out on the World Cup in 2014, he led the side to its third and his first World Cup win in Qatar three years ago.
As the forward turns 38, Sportstar looks at the numbers behind what made the player from good to truly great.
Messi’s stats in club football
| Club | Matches | Goals | Assists |
| FC Barcelona | 778 | 672 | 303 |
| Paris Saint-Germain | 75 | 32 | 35 |
| Inter Miami | 62 | 50 | 24 |
Messi’s stats for Argentina
| Competition | Matches | Goals | Assists |
| World Cup qualification | 71 | 34 | 14 |
| International Friendlies | 56 | 51 | 19 |
| Copa América | 39 | 14 | 18 |
| FIFA World Cup | 26 | 13 | 8 |
| CONMEBOL-UEFA Cup of Champions | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| Total | 193 | 112 | 61 |
Messi’s stats in club football competitions
| Competition | Matches | Goals | Assists |
| La Liga | 520 | 474 | 216 |
| UEFA Champions League | 163 | 129 | 45 |
| Copa del Rey | 80 | 56 | 36 |
| Ligue 1 | 58 | 22 | 31 |
| Major League Soccer | 38 | 31 | 17 |
| Supercopa de Espana | 20 | 14 | 6 |
| CONCACAF Champions Cup | 10 | 7 | 3 |
| FIFA Club World Cup | 8 | 6 | 1 |
| Leagues Cup | 7 | 10 | 1 |
| UEFA Super Cup | 4 | 3 | 3 |
| MLS Cup Playoffs | 3 | 1 | 1 |
| Coupe de France | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| US Open Cup | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| Trophée des Champions | 1 | 1 | 0 |
*All stats have been sourced from Transfermarkt.com and statistics of youth team football (with La Masia) have been excluded.
Content Source: sportstar.thehindu.com