Lionel Messi is one of the greatest players in the history of football, but his international career has not been as successful as his club career.

The 30-year-old has played in three World Cups but has never won one.

He scored his first goal for Argentina at the 2006 World Cup but was sent off during their quarter-final defeat against Germany.

Messi was part of the Argentina team that won the Olympic gold medal at Beijing 2008 and also scored a hat-trick in their 4-0 win over Spain in the final.

However, he missed out on selection for 2010 World Cup after suffering an injury during Barcelona’s Champions League semi-final against Chelsea.

At South Africa 2010, Messi captained a young Argentina side who lost 1-0 to Germany in the quarter-finals. He scored four goals to help Argentina reach the final but was unable to prevent them losing 1-0 to Holland.

In 2014 he captained his country again at Brazil 2014 where they were knocked out in last 16 by Germany after extra time.

Last modified: July 31, 2022