Lionel Messi's greatest enemy, Brazil: His records and statistics

Lionel Messi is the player with the highest number of Ballon d'Or wins, standing at 6. The 34-year-old won every trophy he could at FC Barcelona, leading the team to 35 trophies across all competitions in the 18 senior seasons he spent at the club. At Barcelona, Lionel Messi is considered the club's greatest player of all time but the same cannot be said of his national team, Argentina. 

Lionel Messi's record and trophies for Argentina

Lionel Messi's history with Argentina is a fractious one with many stories of near-misses and frustrations. The 34-year-old had played for over a decade with the Abiceleste, lining up with some of the best players including Hernan Crespo, Sergio Aguero and Gonzalo Higuain but failing to produce an international trophy for his country.

The moment came during the 2020 Copa America when Lionel Messi led the Argentine team to their first international trophy in almost 20 years. The same venue of their 2019 final loss, Brazil, was where the final of the 2020 Copa America was also played. Again, the opponent was Brazil but this time, an Angel di Maria finish made sure Argentina win the competition. 

Lionel Messi records against Brazil

Against the Selecao of Brazil, Lionel Messi and his Argentine team have not been so lucky. In his first four matches against Brazil, Lionel Messi lost three (3-0, 3-0 & 3-1) and drew the last one 0-0. Messi's first win against Brazil came in 2013 when both teams met in Doha for a friendly during which Messi scored a goal.

Overall, Lionel Messi has met the Brazilian National Team on 13 occasions across all competitions. Of the 13, Lionel Messi has won only 6 matches, losing another six and drawing this one. Messi has also scored 5 goals across all matches against Brazil. His less than 50% victory rate shows that Brazil is a nightmare for Lionel Messi.