Copa America 2024: Lionel Messi Becomes Second Highest International Goal-Scorer

Add as a preferred source on Google

Lionel Messi surpassed Ali Daei tally to become the all-time second highest international goal- scorer as defending champions Argentina defeated Canada 2-0 in the Copa America 2024 semi-final at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, USA on Tuesday (July 9) night.

Julian Alvarez had put Argentina in front in the 22nd minute, while Messi put the game beyond reach for the Copa America debutants after he redirected Enzo Fernández's shot in off the face of goalkeeper Maxime Crépeau in the 51st minute.

That second-half strike marked Messi's first goal of Copa America 2024, but it ended his wait to go past Iran's Ali Daei tally of 108. The Argentine talisman is now only behind Cristiano Ronaldo for all-time most international goals. The Portuguese has scored 130 goals.

Most International Goals

• Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal) - 130 goals
• Lionel Messi (Argentina) - 109 goals
• Ali Daei (Iran) - 108 goals
• Sunil Chhetri (India) - 94 goals
• Mokhtar Dahari (Malaysia) - 89 goals
• Ali Mabkhout (UAE) & Romelu Lukaku (Belgium) - 85 goals
• Ferenc Puskas (Hungary) - 84 goals
• Robert Lewandowski (Poland) - 83 goals
• Godfrey Chitalu (Zambia) & Neymar (Brazil) - 79 goals
• Hussein Saeed (Iraq) - 78 goals

Messi, who had not been on target in the previous games in the ongoing tournament, took his tally to 28 goals in his last 25 matches for Argentina and is just three shy of the Copa America goals record with 14 goals to his name in the competition.

Most Goals in Copa America

• Norberto Méndez (Argentina) & Zizinho (Brazil) - 17 goals
• Teodoro Fernandez (Peru) & Severino Varela (Uruguay) - 15 goals
• Lionel Messi (Argentina), Paolo Guerrero (Peru)& Eduardo Vargas (Chile) - 14 goals
• Ademir (Brazil), Jair (Brazil), Gabriel Batistuta (Argentina), Jose Manuel Moreno (Argentina) & Hector Scarone (Uruguay) - 13 goals

The 2021 Champions and joint record winners Argentina will now face the winner of the other semi-final between fellow record holders Uruguay and Colombia in the title clash on Sunday (July 14) night at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami.

With this win on its independence day, Argentina, the Copa America holders and World champions, extended their unbeaten streak to 10 games as they look to match the feat of Spain, who won Euro 2008 and 2012 as well as the 2010 World Cup.