A look at Lionel Messi's 21 years with Argentina

Lionel Messi bid farewell to international soccer after 21 years of service for Argentina on Monday. The world-renowned player, widely considered the greatest of all time, concluded his international career with the Albiceleste. Here's a look at his time with the national team, by the numbers:

Messi led Argentina to a World Cup victory in 2022, as well as reaching the final on two other occasions - in 2014 and 2026, where they faced defeat against Germany and Spain respectively. His participation in six World Cups makes him tied with Cristiano Ronaldo for the most appearances in the tournament.

In the six World Cups he played, Messi scored 21 goals, placing him second only to France's Kylian Mbappe, who has 22 goals from three tournaments. Messi's international career began in August 2005 when he made his debut for Argentina against Hungary, lasting just a minute before being sent off for elbowing an opponent.

Messi's 125 international goals are more than double the amount scored by any other Argentine player, eclipsing Gabriel Batistuta's record of 54 goals in 78 appearances from 1991-2002. His goal tally is also second only to Cristiano Ronaldo's 146 goals in the all-time scoring list in men's international soccer.

In his international career, Messi made 207 appearances, a national record, though not an all-time record in men's football. He trails behind Cristiano Ronaldo, who has played 233 games for Portugal.