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Lionel Messi has only Cristiano Ronaldo to beat after he moved past Iran's Ali Daei to become the second all-time top scorer in men's international football. He achieved the feat in Argentina's Copa America 2024 semi-final win (2-0) over Canada on Tuesday, July 9.
The Argentine maestro scored his side's second goal in the 51st minute to propel his side to the final of the continental competition.
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Messi has now scored 109 goals in 186 games for Argentina, going past Ali Daei's tally of 108 goals. The Barcelona legend is just 21 goals away from dethroning Ronaldo and becoming the highest goalscorer in the history of international football. The Portuguese ace currently has 130 goals.
Football fans across the world have expressed their thoughts on X. Some of them are as follows:
"Leo Messi at 2022 World Cup and 2024 Copa knockouts:5 games, 6 goals," noted one user on X.
"Congrats. 21 to go:)," declared another user.
"Race getting tight," opined another user.
Other Messi fans mocked Ronaldo by commenting that their hero scores 'important goals' and in 'semi-finals' and not against allegedly small teams.
"We score in semi finals not against Luxembourg," mocked a Messi fan.
"Unlike Ronaldo, Messi is scoring important goals for his country," agreed another.
"Ronaldo is shaking wherever he is right now because Messi is coming for that 1st," quipped another fan.
Finally, Lionel Messi fans lauded the diminutive Argentine went from being ridiculed for having no international trophies to boasting one of the greatest international careers of this generation within three years.
"It's crazy how Messi could go from 0 international titles to 3 in the space of just three years, mind-boggling," exclaimed the Messi fan.
"If Messi wins Copa hes officially the goat," asserted another.
"We taking that first spot soon Messi," concluded another fan.
"Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi would finish their careers together" - Ronaldo's former teammate talks about the perfect endgame
Former Portugal midfielder Pedro Mendes talked about a eutopic future in which Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo end their careers together at the same club. However, he also conceded that it is an elusive dream and would probably never come to fruition.
In an interview with BoyleSports, Mendes commented:
"If Cristiano Ronaldo joined Inter Miami it would be amazing for the fans and incredible for football in America. It would mean that the two best players in the history and future of football, Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi would finish their careers together which would be a dream come true. However, I can’t see it happening. It would be very difficult."
Lionel Messi is currently aiming for his fourth consecutive major international trophy with Argentina. Cristiano Ronaldo, on the other hand, is preparing for a new season with Saudi club Al-Nassr after getting eliminated from the quarter-finals of Euro 2024.
