Lionel Messi is closing in on Cristiano Ronaldo on the list of men's top international scorers of all time after his goal against Canada.
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- Messi nets in Copa America semi-final win
- Moves into second place in top-scorer list
- Ronaldo has big lead over his famous rival
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WHAT HAPPENED?
The 37-year-old netted his team's second goal as the Albiceleste beat Canada 2-0 in the Copa America semi-final on Tuesday evening to remain on track to win the competition for the second consecutive time.
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- Getty Images
THE BIGGER PICTURE
Messi's goal is his 109th in 186 appearances for the Argentina senior team, moving him one clear of Iran legend Ali Daei, who held the record for men's international football's highest scorer for years until Ronaldo broke it in September 2021.
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DID YOU KNOW?
Now the second-highest scorer in international football history, Inter Miami star Messi will hope to close the gap on Portugal sensation Ronaldo. However, the 39-year-old now has a huge lead over his eternal rival, having now netted a whopping 130 times in 212 games for his country.
| Player/Country |
Caps |
Goals |
| Cristiano Ronaldo/Portugal |
212 |
130 |
| Lionel Messi/Argentina |
186 |
109 |
| Ali Daei/Iran |
148 |
108 |
| Sunil Chhetri/India |
151 |
94 |
| Mokhtar Dahari/Malaysia |
142 |
89 |
- Getty Images
WHAT NEXT FOR MESSI & RONALDO?
Messi will hope to add even more goals to his record when Argentina face either Uruguay or Colombia in the Copa America final before he returns to MLS action with Inter Miami. After crashing out of Euro 2024 with Portugal, Ronaldo will rest up before he begins the new Saudi Pro League campaign with Al-Nassr.
