Lionel Messi has one last chance to deliver a World Cup for Argentina. The heir to the throne of Diego Maradona has arguably surpassed his idol, but securing the most prestigious prize in world football would cement his name as the undisputed king.
The former Barcelona megastar retired from international football in 2016 following Argentina’s defeat to Chile in the Copa America final, but swiftly returned to the scene to complete business that remains unfinished.
At the age of 35, this is almost certainly his final farewell to the top tournament in football, and he will be itching to lift the iconic golden trophy on Sunday evening.
Messi has grown into this tournament, sparkling in flashes throughout the competition with goals and assists littering his journey. Can he punch in two huge performances to secure the World Cup for Argentina?
RadioTimes.com brings you all the key figures around Lionel Messi at the World Cup and beyond.
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Lionel Messi World Cup goals
Prior to the semi-finals, Lionel Messi has scored four goals at World Cup 2022 in five starts.
If that’s not enough, Messi has also picked up two assists in those games.
Group C: Argentina 1-2 Saudi Arabia (90 minutes, 1 goal)
Group C: Argentina 2-1 Mexico (90 minutes, 1 goal, 1 assist)
Group C: Poland 0-2 Argentina (90 minutes, 0 goals)
Round of 16: Argentina 2-1 Australia (90 minutes, 1 goal)
Quarter-finals: Netherlands 2-2 Argentina (90 minutes, 1 goal, 1 assist)
Lionel Messi career goals
Prior to the World Cup, Messi has scored 695 goals in 831 games in club football across all competitions.
Barcelona – 778 games, 672 goals, 269 assists
PSG – 53 games, 23 goals, 28 assists
Club total – 831 games, 695 goals, 349 assists
Prior to the World Cup semi-finals, Messi has scored 95 goals in 170 matches for Argentina.
Argentina – 170 games, 95 goals, 52 assists
This has been Messi’s finest calendar year of international football in his entire career with 15 strikes to his name so far in just eight matches. His next highest total was 12 goals in just five matches back in 2012.
CAREER TOTAL – 1,001 games, 790 goals, 349 assists (1139 goal contributions)
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