200 and counting: Lionel Messi hits historic international milestone in World Cup opener

The Argentina national team is about to debut in the 2026 World Cup, with Lionel Messi set to further extend his historic South American legacy as he takes the field against Algeria.

Messi will reach 200 career appearances with Argentina, distancing himself from previous CONMEBOL records and closing in on the all-time international mark held by Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo.

This will also mark Messi’s 27th career World Cup match—a tournament where he has already racked up 13 goals and eight assists. Additionally, this tournament marks his sixth career World Cup selection, tying the historic record held by Cristiano Ronaldo and Guillermo Ochoa.

Messi locked in to start

Although he entered the tournament dealing with a lingering physical issue from the end of his Inter Miami season, Lionel Messi has officially been named to Argentina’s starting lineup against Algeria.

Leading up to the opener, Messi’s minutes had been carefully managed; he appeared in three of Argentina’s last four matches, starting twice and going the full 90 minutes only once—a pre-tournament friendly against Zambia. The 2022 World Cup champion sat out the team’s warm-up match against Honduras entirely, but he is fully cleared for kickoff today.

Which country has Messi faced the most?

Brazil and Chile top the list as Lionel Messi’s most frequent international opponents. Since making his senior Argentina debut in 2005, the Inter Miami superstar has faced both South American powerhouses 14 times each over his legendary 21-year international career.

When it comes to finding the back of the net, however, Bolivia has suffered the most at the hands of the Argentine captain. Messi has tormented the Bolivian defense for a career-high 11 international goals in just 12 matches.

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