Lionel Messi Passes 100-Goal Mark For Argentina As He Adds Curacao To List Of Nations He Has Scored Against

Lionel Messi has become the third player to score 100 goals in men's international soccer. Messi's 100th senior goal for Argentina came against Curacao.
Lionel Messi Passes 100-Goal Mark For Argentina As He Adds Curacao To List Of Nations He Has Scored Against
Lionel Messi Passes 100-Goal Mark For Argentina As He Adds Curacao To List Of Nations He Has Scored Against /

Lionel Messi has become the third player to score at least 100 goals in men's international soccer.

The 35-year-old joined Cristiano Ronaldo and Iran legend Ali Daei in the 100 Club by scoring against Curacao in a friendly on Tuesday.

Messi's 100th international goal arrived 20 minutes into the game at the Estadio Unico Madre de Ciudades in Santiago del Estero.

It was scored with his weaker right foot after he jinked past a Curacao defender inside the penalty area.

Messi then scored his 101st international goal 34 minutes into Tuesday's game before completing his hat-trick moments later as Argentina ran riot against the side ranked 86th in the world by FIFA.

Argentina went on to win Tuesday's game 7-0, with Nicolas Gonzalez, Enzo Fernandez, Angel Di Maria and Gonzalo Montiel joining Messi on the scoresheet.

Ronaldo currently leads the men's international scoring charts with 122 goals in 198 appearances.

Daei, who retired in 2006, scored 109 goals in 148 matches for Iran.

It has taken Messi 174 games to score his first 102 international goals.

SEE MORE: Watch Lionel Messi Score Ninth International Hat-Trick As Argentina Crush Curacao

Lionel Messi pictured celebrating after scoring in Argentina's game against Holland at the 2022 FIFA World Cup
Lionel Messi is the third man to score 100 senior international goals :: IMAGO/PA Images/Peter Byrne

Messi has now scored against 37 different national teams for Argentina.

His first international goal came in 2006 against Croatia.

Messi has scored at least one goal in every calendar year since then, with 2022 being his most productive (18 goals in 14 games).

Forty-eight of Messi's first 102 international goals have come in friendly games.

Who Lionel Messi's First 102 Argentina Goals Have Been Scored Against

  • Bolivia 8
  • Ecuador 6
  • Uruguay 6
  • Brazil 5
  • Chile 5
  • Estonia 5
  • Paraguay 5
  • Venezuela 5
  • Mexico 4
  • Panama 4
  • Curacao 3
  • Colombia 3
  • Croatia 3
  • France 3
  • Guatemala 3
  • Haiti 3
  • Nigeria 3
  • Switzerland 3
  • Algeria 2
  • Hong Kong 2
  • Honduras 2
  • Jamaica 2
  • Nicaragua 2
  • Spain 2
  • Albania 1
  • Australia 1
  • Bosnia and Herzegovina 1
  • Germany 1
  • Iran 1
  • Holland 1
  • Peru 1
  • Portugal 1
  • Saudi Arabia 1
  • Serbia and Montenegro 1
  • Slovenia 1
  • United Arab Emirates 1
  • United States 1

Published
Robert Summerscales
ROBERT SUMMERSCALES

Robert Summerscales launched FanNation Futbol in February 2022. Rob is a British journalist who previously spent two years on the sports desk at the Daily Mail in London, having earlier served as editor of CaughtOffside.com. He has been to the last two FIFA Men's World Cups, in Russia and Qatar, and is looking forward to completing his hat-trick in North America in 2026.