Lionel Messi's World Cup appearances by year: Timeline from 2006 debut to first FIFA title and age 39 encore

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In the history of international soccer, nobody has a resume quite like Lionel Messi's.

Until later his career, a World Cup title evaded Messi — but once he secured Argentina that glory, it stamped his legacy as an all-time talent.

Over six World Cup appearances, however, Messi has had plenty of standout performances, including multiple Golden Ball awards.

Here's a full look at Messi's history at the World Cup.

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Lionel Messi's World Cup appearances by year

Messi has now appeared in six different World Cups.

2006 World Cup, Germany

Appearances: 3
Goals: 1
Assists: 1
Argentina's Result: Lost to Germany in quarterfinals

Messi made his international debut with Argentina in 2005 at age 18, scoring his first goal in 2006 during a friendly vs. Croatia. In his first World Cup, although brief, he still made his presence felt.

Messi became the youngest player to represent and score for Argentina at the World Cup, but his first tournament run came to an end vs. Germany in the quarterfinals.

MORE: Revisiting Messi's first World Cup in 2006

2010 World Cup, South Africa

Appearances: 5
Goals: 0
Assists: 1
Argentina's Result: Lost to Germany in the quarterfinals

The 2010 World Cup was a quieter one for Argentina's star. After being given the No. 10 shirt following Juan Roman Riquelme's retirement in 2009, Messi was Argentina's rising star — but he did not find the back of the net in South Africa.

Argentina fell to the same opponent in the same round as the previous World Cup.

2014 World Cup, Brazil

Appearances: 7
Goals: 4
Assists: 1
Argentina's Result: Lost to Germany in the World Cup final

By 2014, Messi was one of the faces of soccer, becoming Argentina's captain by age 24 and quickly climbing the country's all-time leaders in international goals.

The 2014 tournament in Brazil wound up being the best yet for Messi. He won the Golden Ball award after scoring four goals in seven games — but the World Cup trophy evaded Argentina again, losing to Germany for the third time in a row.

2018 World Cup, Russia

Appearances: 4
Goals: 1
Assists: 2
Argentina's Result: Lost to France in Round of 16

Originally, Messi planned to retire from international soccer after losing three final matches in three consecutive years. But he was back for the 2018 World Cup — and Argentina needed him to even qualify, as a hat trick vs. Ecuador locked in the country's bid.

Argentina went on to make an early exit in the knockout round in the tournament itself, this time falling to France in the Round of 16.

2022 World Cup, Qatar

Appearances: 7
Goals: 7
Assists: 3
Argentina's Result: Won World Cup

Everything finally came together from a team perspective for Messi by 2021. A 28-year trophy drought for Argentina was broken in that year's Copa America tournament, in which Messi also moved into the top spot for most all-time Argentina appearances.

Coming into the World Cup, Argentina had momentum — and it made good on that momentum. Messi scored seven times in seven games, leading Argentina to its first World Cup title in 36 years by scoring twice vs. France in the final.

Messi, for the second time, won the Golden Ball award, becoming the first player to claim it twice.

2026 World Cup, North America

Appearances: 5
Goals: 8
Assists: 1
Argentina's Result: TBD

With the pressure of winning the big one off his shoulders, Messi has somehow turned it up a notch once again at the 2026 World Cup.

At age 39, he's scored eight times in just five matches so far, putting himself No. 1 all-time in World Cup goals for the time being. He set the tone from the start for the biggest World Cup ever, notching a hat trick vs. Algeria in the group stage, also joining Cristiano Ronaldo as the only players to score at five different World Cups.

Later on in the group stage, Messi became the first player to ever score in seven consecutive World Cup matches. With Argentina still alive, overcoming a significant deficit vs. Egypt in the Round of 16, Messi is looking to add another trophy to his collection.

MORE WORLD CUP NEWS:

How old was Lionel Messi in first World Cup?

In his first World Cup appearance back in 2006, Messi was just 18 years old — though he wasn't far from his 19th birthday.

Here's a look at his first World Cup goal:

How old was Lionel Messi when he won his first World Cup?

While he made his first World Cup appearance at age 18, it wasn't until Messi was 35 years old that he'd get his hands on the tournament trophy, bringing it home for Argentina.

Seventeen years after arriving on the World Cup stage, in December 2022, Messi and his squad took down France to add the trophy to his resume.

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