Lionel Messi returned to the Argentina national team and contributed to the Silver Country’s 6-0 friendly win over Puerto Rico at Chase Stadium in Miami, USA.
Messi had missed the previous friendly against Venezuela by decision of coach Lionel Scaloni. He then returned to the Inter Miami camp, where he played against Atlanta United in the MLS, contributing to a crucial 4-0 victory for Javier Mascherano’s side.
The 37-year-old rejoined the Argentina squad and participated in the match against Puerto Rico, where he assisted two goals, setting a historic record as he responded to Cristiano Ronaldo’s recent achievement.
Messi Becomes the Player with the Most Assists in National Team History
With his two assists, Messi reached his 60th career assist with the Argentine national team in 195 matches across various continental tournaments and friendly matches.
Thus, Lionel Messi became the player with the most assists in national team history, breaking the record previously held by Brazilian star Neymar da Silva (59 assists).
Friendly matches remain Messi’s most prolific assists for Argentina, with 21 assists in 51 friendly matches for the Albiceleste, in addition to 18 assists in 14 Copa América matches, and 14 assists in 36 World Cup qualifiers.
It’s worth noting that Messi has played 26 matches in six World Cups, during which he has assisted eight goals.
Messi is the player with the most goal contributions in football history, and he is two assists away from reaching 400 in his career with clubs and national teams.
After the October break… the teams that have qualified for the 2026 World Cup
Ronaldo is the top scorer in World Cup qualifiers
Messi’s historic individual achievement comes hours after his eternal rival, Cristiano Ronaldo, achieved another milestone, becoming the all-time top scorer in World Cup qualifiers with a brace against Hungary.
Ronaldo’s total goals in European qualifiers now stands at 40, while Messi has only scored 36 goals for Argentina in the South American qualifiers.
Messi is the top assist provider for his national teams, with 60, compared to Ronaldo’s 45. However, Ronaldo still leads in total goals scored, with 143, compared to only 114 for the Argentine Flea.
