Lionel Messi is the top scorer in the history of the Argentine national team, and a good part of those goals have come in Copa América matches, a competition in which he could soon rise on the list of all-time top scorers.
The Inter Miami icon has won virtually everything there is to win at club and international level, and his influence will likely be critical if Argentina are to go all the way again in 2024 and claim a record 16th title.
But exactly how many goals does Messi have in the Copa América? And what rivals has he scored against? The Jugo Mobile has all the details.
How many goals does Messi have in the Copa América?
Lionel Messi He has scored 13 goals in the Copa América during his career so far..
His first mark in the tournament was with two goals in the 2007 competition, in which Argentina finished runners-up after being defeated by arch-rivals Brazil 3-0 in the final.
It would be eight years before he scored his next goals on the continental stage, as in consecutive years the Albiceleste suffered a hard blow against Chile in the final.
Messi scored a goal in the 2015 tournament, when hosts Chile won the trophy, and it was repeated 12 months later for the Copa América Centenario in 2016 in the United States. Chile once again beat Messi, who missed his penalty in the shootout and Jorge Sampaoli’s team remained calm.
Messi was much more prolific in that tournament, scoring five goals in his six games, but he was so distraught after a second consecutive defeat in the final that Argentina’s talisman initially opted to retire from international football after the match.
However, three years later, he returned. He scored once in 2019 and then four times in 2021, when he was finally able to claim his first title in the competition. That was the precursor to their first World Cup title 12 months later in Qatar.
Curiously, his only Copa América in which he did not score was the only one he played at home: in Argentina in 2011.
Here is Messi’s record in the tournament:
| Year | Host country | Games played | Goals scored | Stage reached | removed by |
| 2007 | Venezuela | 6 | 2 | Runners-up | Brazil |
| 2011 | Argentina | 5 | 0 | Quarter finals | Uruguay |
| 2015 | Chili | 6 | 1 | Runners-up | Chili |
| 2016 | USA | 6 | 5 | Runners-up | Chili |
| 2019 | Brazil | 5 | 1 | Semifinal | Brazil |
| 2021 | Brazil | 6 | 4 | Winners | — |
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Lionel Messi’s goals in the Copa América
| Tournament | Adversary | Scenery | Result | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | Peru | Quarter finals | 4-0 | 1 |
| 2007 | Mexico | Semifinals | 3-0 | 1 |
| 2015 | Paraguay | Group stage | 2-2 | 1 |
| 2016 | Panama | Group stage | 5-0 | 3 |
| 2016 | Venezuela | Quarter finals | 4-1 | 1 |
| 2016 | USA | Semifinals | 4-0 | 1 |
| 2019 | Paraguay | Group stage | 1-1 | 1 |
| 2021 | Chili | Group stage | 1-1 | 1 |
| 2021 | bolivia | Group stage | 4-1 | 2 |
| 2021 | Ecuador | Quarter finals | 3-0 | 1 |
| TOTAL | 13 |
