Lionel Messi turns 39: Every goal he scored at each age in his career

For the sixth time in his career, Lionel Messi celebrates his birthday during a World Cup, which feels fitting considering he is now the tournament’s all-time leading goalscorer.

The Argentina captain sealed the distinction in typically majestic fashion, scoring his first World Cup hat trick against Algeria in his country’s opening game of the 2026 edition before following it up with a double against Austria less than a week later.

Five goals in his final days as a 38-year-old have written Messi into the record books. Again.

The Inter Miami superstar has now scored 18 World Cup goals, two more than anyone else, and 916 in his career for club and country.

Messi’s remarkable year at 38

Impressively, 50 of those came at the age of 38 for The Herons and Argentina, the ninth year of his career in which he scored at least 50 goals.

Messi’s goalscoring peak came at the age of 24, when he plundered an incredible 82 goals for Barcelona and La Albiceleste between June 2011 and June 2012. Ironically, Barça failed to win LaLiga or the Champions League that season, which was Pep Guardiola’s last in charge, while Argentina only reached the quarterfinals of the 2011 Copa América.

Leo’s next-best return came the very next year, when he recorded 69 goals as a 25-year-old. The only other time he has broken 60 came between June 2014 and June 2015, when he hit 64 at the age of 27.

The only seasons below 30 goals

Messi’s first senior goal came for Barcelona on May 1, 2005 and marked the only time he scored as a 17-year-old. He broke the 20-goal barrier for the first time when he was 20, between June 2007 and June 2008, and fired in 41 the very next year.

Since turning 21, he has only failed to score at least 30 goals between birthdays on three occasions: when he was 32, between June 2019 and June 2020; 34, between June 2021 and June 2022; and 37, between June 2024 and June 2025.

His latest 50-goal year will forever be remembered, but will it be his last? Given the way he ended it, perhaps not.

Lionel Messi’s goals by age

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