Leo Messi's 1000th match: 3 things to know!

On 16 October 2004, an understated left-footed Argentine took his first steps in the world of professional football. An exceptional story. The story of a life. Lionel Messi's life. From Catalonia to Paris, from the biggest Champions League matches to the summits of the Copa America, our Argentinian magician has written some of the greatest chapters in the history books of the Beautiful Game over the past two decades. So what better than a number to immortalise this story? A perfectly round number. 1000 matches.

1 – MORE GOALS AND ASSISTS THAN MATCHES

It might seem crazy, but Leo Messi has been directly involved in more goals than the number of matches he has played, regardless of the shirt he was wearing. The Argentine has scored no less than 789 goals and made 338 assists since the start of his professional career.

He has therefore been directly involved in no less than 1127 goals in the 1000 matches played! A dizzying record, and the Paris Saint-Germain n°30 shows no sign of letting off. In fact, just in the Paris shirt, he has been directly involved in 26 goals in 19 appearances since the start of the season (12 goals and 14 assists).

When adding his performances for his national side, he has been directly involved in 36 goals in 27 matches… That means he has been directly involved in an average of 1.40 goals per match, only bettering that record once in his career 10 years earlier (2011-2012 season with a ratio of 1.64).

2 – THe crazy story of the world cup 

Given that it was a knockout match for the Albiceleste, the match on Saturday evening against Australia had a special meaning for Leo Messi. But also because our Parisien scored his third goal in the competition, and the very first of his career in the knockout stage of the World Cup! An excellent way to celebrate his 23rd World Cup match. Only Miroslav Klose (24) and Lothar Matthäus (25) have played more in the history of the game. 

In terms of goals, he has now overtaken Diego Maradona in the standings of top Argentine goal scorers at the World Cup (9). Only Gabriel Batistuta (10 goals) has a better record.

And although he has never lifted the World Cup, the most recent Copa America winning captain has already left an incredible mark on the history of the competition... First and foremost, because 16 years separate his first goal against Serbia and Montenegro on 16 June 2006 – and his final goal against Australia. That is the longest gap between a first and last goal in the history of the tournament! 

Then because he forms part of a very exclusive club of players in the history of the competition: 

• He is one of 5 players to have played at 5 World Cups (2006, 2010, 2014, 2018 and 2022), with Antonio Carbajal, Rafael Márquez, Lothar Matthäus and Cristiano Ronaldo.
• He is one of 5 players to have scored in 4 World Cups (2006, 2014, 2018, 2022), after Pelé, Uwe Seeler, Miroslav Klose and Cristiano Ronaldo.

3 – An ASSIST MACHINE 

During these 1000 matches, the Rosario-born forward has been involved in goal after goal. Be that with an assist or finding the back of the net himself... Like during the match against Mexico, where he wore both hats. No surprise then that he is currently the player with the most assists in Ligue 1 this season, with 10 assists. 

Since his first match in Ligue 1 in 2021, Messi is the player with the most assists to his name (24).
The same goes for the Champions League, given that since 2003-2004, only Cristiano Ronaldo (40) has picked up more assists that the Argentine (39) in the competition.