Lionel Messi is the top scorer in the history of the Argentina national team, and a good portion of those goals have come in Copa America matches, a competition in which in he can still move up the list of historical all-time top scorers.
The Inter Miami icon has won pretty much all there is to win at club and international level, and his influence is likely to be critical if Argentina are to go all the way again in 2024 and claim a record 16th title.
But exactly how many goals does Messi have in the Copa America? And which rivals has he scored against? The Sporting News has all the details.
MORE: Argentina schedule at Copa America 2024, all Messi’s matches here
How many goals does Messi have in the Copa America?
Lionel Messi has scored 13 goals in the Copa America during his career so far.
He first got off the mark in the tournament with two goals in the 2007 competition, in which Argentina finished as runners-up after being beaten by arch-rivals Brazil 3-0 in the final.
It was eight years before he got his next goals on the continental stage, as in back-to-back years La Albiceleste were dealt heartbreak by Chile in the final.
Messi netted once in the 2015 tournament, as hosts Chile won the trophy, and it was a repeat 12 months later for the Copa America Centenario in 2016 in the USA. Chile again prevailed against Messi, as he missed his spot-kick in the penalty shootout and Jorge Sampaoli’s side held their nerve.
Messi was far more prolific in that tournament, with five goals from his six matches, but so heartbroken was he after a second successive final defeat that Argentina’s talisman opted to initially retire from international football after the game.
Three years later, however, he was back. He scored once in 2019 and then four times in 2021, when he was finally able to get his first title in the competition. That was the precursor to his first-ever World Cup title 12 months later in Qatar.
Curiously, his only completed Copa America in which he did not score, so far at least, was the only one he played at home: in Argentina in 2011.
Here’s Messi’s record in the tournament:
| Year | Host Nation | Games Played | Goals Scored | Stage Reached | Eliminated by |
| 2007 | Venezuela | 6 | 2 | Runners Up | Brazil |
| 2011 | Argentina | 5 | 0 | Quarterfinal | Uruguay |
| 2015 | Chile | 6 | 1 | Runners Up | Chile |
| 2016 | USA | 6 | 5 | Runners Up | Chile |
| 2019 | Brazil | 5 | 1 | Semifinal | Brazil |
| 2021 | Brazil | 6 | 4 | Winners | — |
| 2024 | USA | 3 | 0 | TBD | TBD |
BUY TICKETS: Get your hands on seats to see Messi in action in the USA here
Lionel Messi goals in the Copa America
| Tournament | Opponent | Stage | Result | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | Peru | Quarterfinals | 4-0 | 1 |
| 2007 | Mexico | Semifinals | 3-0 | 1 |
| 2015 | Paraguay | Group Stage | 2-2 | 1 |
| 2016 | Panama | Group Stage | 5-0 | 3 |
| 2016 | Venezuela | Quarterfinals | 4-1 | 1 |
| 2016 | USA | Semifinals | 4-0 | 1 |
| 2019 | Paraguay | Group Stage | 1-1 | 1 |
| 2021 | Chile | Group Stage | 1-1 | 1 |
| 2021 | Bolivia | Group Stage | 4-1 | 2 |
| 2021 | Ecuador | Quarterfinals | 3-0 | 1 |
| TOTAL | 13 |
