When Barcelona signed the young Argentine forward in 2004, the world had no idea that he would become one of the greatest players to have donned the iconic red and blue jersey.
During his jaw-dropping career at Barcelona, Messi scored a mind-boggling 672 goals in 778 appearances, breaking numerous records during his spell at Camp Nou.
He scored his first goal in 2005 against Albacete in a jam-packed Camp Nou.
The Argentine’s last goal for the Spanish giants came in a 2-1 defeat to Celta Vigo at home.
But what he had done between the two goals will live in the minds of football fans forever.
The Argentine captured a club-record 35 trophies for Barcelona, while also picking up the prestigious Ballon d’Or seven times.
Messi’s Argentina record year by year
Messi currently shares the podium with Cristiano Ronaldo and Ali Daei as far as international goals are concerned.
The forward has scored 90 goals for his beloved country and is their all-time top goal scorer.
The only blotch on his international career was the lack of trophies he had won for his country.
Having lost the 2014 World Cup final in Brazil, it looked like an international trophy would elude one of the greatest of the game.
But Argentina’s luck changed in 2021 when Messi guided La Albiceleste to the Copa America title along with a Finalissima Trophy in 2022.
Come the World Cup in Qatar, Messi will have his eyes on the biggest prize once again.
Messi career goals in total for club and country
Unsurprisingly, Messi scored the overwhelming majority of his goals for Barcelona, netting an impressive 672 times during his stint with the Spanish giants.
We can safely say he’s not going to get anywhere near that for PSG, particularly after what was a somewhat disappointing first season in the French capital by his admittedly incredibly high standards.
The prolific attacker has made it clear that he will not be around for the 2026 World Cup, but he will still be aiming to surpass the 100-goal mark for Argentina in the years to come, even if it seems unlikely he will achieve that remarkable feat in 2022.
