New Delhi: Lionel Messi cemented his legendary status after scoring against Canada in the Copa America 2024 semi-final at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. He became the second-highest international goal scorer in men’s football history. The Argentine maestro achieved this feat after breaking a tie with Iranian legend Ali Daei and surpassing him, making it 109 goals in the tally.
Before the match, Lionel Messi was the second-highest active international goal scorer with 108 goals. He is just behind Portugal’s legend Cristiano Ronaldo, who has the highest tally with 130 goals.
A Goal for the Ages
The historic moment arrived in the 51st minute of the match. With Canada struggling to clear their lines, Enzo Fernández unleashed a shot from the edge of the box. Messi touched the ball, and it landed in the back of the net. Canadian players challenged Messi’s goal, arguing that he was offside, but the VAR thoroughly checked and revealed that Cornelius played Messi onside, allowing the goal to be counted. The goal helped him make history possible.
In 38 Copa America appearances he has scored 14 goals and with this goal he became the one who has scored in the six Copa America for his national team.
Lionel Messi has now scored in 𝐬𝐢𝐱 Copa America’s 🇦🇷👑 pic.twitter.com/eb4r7maFb4
— LiveScore (@livescore) July 10, 2024
This goal not only secured Argentina’s place in the Copa America final but also etched Messi’s name even deeper in footballing folklore.
Here’s a breakdown of Top 10 highest international goal scorers in history
Ranking
Player
Country
Goals
1
Cristiano Ronaldo
Portugal
130
2
Lionel Messi
Argentina
109
3
Ali Daei
Iran
108
4
Sunil Chhetri
India
94
5
Mokhtar Dahari
Malaysia
89
6
Ali Mabkhout
UAE
85
6
Romelu Lukaku
Belgium
85
7
Ferenc Puskas
Hungary
84
8
Robert Lewandowski
Poland
83
9
Godfrey Chitalu
Zambia
79
9
Neymar Jr
Brazil
79
10
Hussein Saeed
Iraq
78
The race for the top continues
Lionel Messi playmaking abilities, dribbling skills, and vision have made him one of the most aesthetically pleasing footballers to watch. This latest accomplishment adds another glittering chapter to a career already overflowing with accolades.
While Messi’s achievement is monumental, the race for the absolute pinnacle continues. Cristiano Ronaldo remains 21 goals ahead, and with both players still actively competing, the battle for the top position in the tally promises to be enthralling.
Lionel Messi makes history against Canada in the Copa America 2024 semi-final, becoming the second-highest international goal scorer ever. Football Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
