Examining Lionel Messi’s Goal Tally vs Uruguay and Brazil Ahead of Argentina’s World Cup Qualifiers

• Messi has scored 106 goals in 178 international matches
• The football icon has scored six goals against Uruguay
• Messi has scored five goals against Brazil, all coming in friendlies

Lionel Messi is three goals away from passing Iran’s Ali Daei for second place in the career international goals list.

He has a chance to accomplish that feat in the next few days, with Argentina set to play World Cup qualifying matches against Uruguay and Brazil.

Sports Brief looks at Messi’s goals against those two South American nations.

Messi's goals vs. Uruguay

The football icon loves playing against Uruguay. He has scored six goals against them in 12 career meetings, five of which have come in World Cup qualifiers.

He opened his account against them in their World Cup qualifier back in 2008 when he scored in the sixth minute of Argentina’s 2-1 win.

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Messi scored a brace against Uruguay in their World Cup qualifying match back in 2012, nabbing goals in the 66th and 80th minutes of Argentina’s 3-0 victory.

He scored the lone goal in Argentina’s 1-0 win over Uruguay in 2016, finding the back of the net in the 43rd minute.

Messi’s last goal in a World Cup qualifier against Uruguay came in 2021, with Messi opening the scoring in Argentina’s 3-0 victory.

Messi’s other goal against Uruguay came in a friendly back in 2019, with the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner scoring a penalty in second-half injury time to salvage a 2-2 draw for Argentina, per Eurosport.

Messi's goals vs. Brazil

Messi has scored five goals against Brazil in 13 career meetings, all of which have come in friendly matches.

His first goal against Brazil came in 2010, with Messi scoring a dramatic match-winner in second-half injury time.

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He then displayed his attacking prowess against Brazil in 2012, recording a stunning hat-trick in Argentina’s 4-3 victory, per Bleacher Report.

Messi scored twice in a three-minute span in the first half to turn a 0-1 deficit into a 2-1 lead for Argentina.

Brazil answered right back, with Oscar and Hulk giving them a 3-2 lead in the second half.

Federico Fernandez equalised for Argentina in the 76th minute before Messi sent fans into a frenzy with his match-winner in the 85th minute.

Messi waited seven years before scoring another goal against Brazil, netting in Argentina’s 1-0 victory in 2019.

Messi's former stunt double scores for Argentina

Sports Brief recently reported on Messi's former stunt double scoring for Argentina's U17 team.

Valentino Acuña scored Argentina's second goal as they beat Japan 3-1.

He was used as a stunt double for the Inter Miami star in a 2014 documentary.