Lionel Messi has set yet another milestone in football, marking a new high in the sport’s 152-year history. Over the course of his illustrious career, Messi has scored an incredible 846 goals and provided 377 assists, contributing to a total of 1,223 goals in official matches. This achievement places him at the top for the most goal contributions in the history of football.
Since the first official match between Scotland and England in 1872, football has grown into a global phenomenon. Today, Messi surpassed all previous records during Argentina’s match against Bolivia, further solidifying his place in the history books.
In that game, Messi contributed significantly by scoring three goals and providing two assists—reviving a remarkable feat that hadn’t been seen in 15 years. The last player to achieve a hat-trick and two assists in a CONMEBOL World Cup qualifying match was Bolivia’s Joaquín Botero, who did it against Argentina in 2009. Messi, who played in that match in La Paz, reflected on the memory, but emphasized that his focus now is on enjoying the remaining years of his career. He also expressed how much he appreciated hearing the crowd chant his name throughout the game.
Messi’s hat-trick in this match, the 58th of his career, brought yet another record. It marked his 10th hat-trick for Argentina, tying him with Cristiano Ronaldo for the most hat-tricks in international football.
In addition to this shared accomplishment, Messi set a unique record of his own. The 37-year-old became the first player in CONMEBOL World Cup qualifying history to score three hat-tricks. He first achieved this in 2016 against Ecuador, then against Bolivia in 2021, and once again in 2024 against the same opponent, cementing his place as a legend in South American football.
