Three years on from their Copa America triumph, Argentina, led by the indomitable Lionel Messi, has once again reached the finals of the Copa. Along the way, Messi's goal in the semi-final victory over Canada not only contributed to the win but also marked a new personal milestone, propelling him past Ali Daei of Iran to become the second-highest scorer in international football.
Messi's tally now stands at 109 international goals, with only Cristiano Ronaldo ahead with 130 goals. The burning question in the football world is whether Messi can overtake Ronaldo's impressive record.
Having achieved virtually everything possible in both national and club football over the past three years, Messi has stated that there is nothing left for him to gain from the game. Personal accolades, such as goal-scoring records, may not be his primary focus, yet his fans are undoubtedly keeping a keen eye on the count.
Messi is a mere 21 goals away from matching Ronaldo and 22 from surpassing 'CR7'. It's important to remember that Ronaldo has not retired and has not ruled out playing until the 2026 World Cup, so it's too soon to assume he will not add to his current goal tally. Even if Ronaldo doesn't score again, surpassing him will be a formidable challenge for Messi.
Despite the seemingly small gap, the reality is starkly different. Messi, who recently celebrated his 37th birthday, has hinted that this Copa may be his last battle. Even if he continues until 2026, the task will not be straightforward. In this Copa alone, Messi has scored just once up to the semi-finals, and concerns about his fitness and injury proneness have grown since the last World Cup. Age has begun to take its toll, and frequent injuries have become a concern.
Even if Messi continues to play post-Copa, he may be rested for friendly and less critical matches. His role on the pitch is evolving more towards playmaking than goal-scoring, which means that apart from crucial World Cup qualifiers, his appearances may become scarce. If Messi does participate in the 2026 World Cup, he may not be the focal point as in previous tournaments, with Coach Scaloni likely to manage his playing time carefully.
In such a controlled scenario, catching up to Ronaldo's goal count becomes even more challenging. However, should Messi decide to hang up his boots before the next World Cup, he would likely retire behind Ronaldo in this personal goal-scoring race. But as it's Messi, it would be premature to draw any conclusions. The final answer, therefore, remains in the hands of time, and with Messi, the word 'impossible' has often been proven redundant.
