Messi, Vargas and Guerrero fight to be the greatest scorer in Copa América history

Lionel Messi has few records to break, but, at Copa América 2024, he will try to become the top scorer in the history of the oldest national team tournament in the world, in a tough duel with Chilean Eduardo Vargas and Peruvian Paolo Guerrero.

‘La Pulga’, who, in the last Copa América, played in Brazil 2021, took a huge weight off his shoulders by winning his first title with the Argentine main team, scored 13 goals in the six editions of the continental tournament he played in (2007, 2011, 2015 , 2016, 2019 and 2021).

About to turn 37 on June 24, Messi arrives at the Copa América in the United States four behind the tournament’s all-time top scorers: Brazilian Zizinho and Argentine Norberto Méndez, both with 17 goals, and two from Uruguay. Severino Varela and Peruvian Teodoro Fernández.

Guerrero and Vargas in the dispute

Messi is close to achieving a new milestone to further enhance his spectacular career, but first, he will have to deal with strikers Vargas and Guerrero, who scored 14 goals each, one more than the Argentine star.

Both the Peruvian ‘Predator’, aged 40, and the Chilean ‘Turboman’, aged 34, will be present in the United States in 2024 looking to continue increasing this particular statistic and occupy a throne that seems destined for Messi.

List of the top scorers of the Copa América, which began to be played in 1916:

1. Norberto ‘Tucho’ Méndez (Argentina) – 17 goals

. Zizinho (Brazil) – 17

3. Teodoro Fernández (Peru) – 15

. Severino Varela (Uruguay) – 15

5. Paolo Guerrero (Peru) – 14

. Eduardo Vargas (Chile) – 14

7. Lionel Messi (Argentina) – 13

. Ademir (Brazil) – 13

. Jair Rosa Pinto (Brazil) – 13

. José Manuel Moreno (Argentina) – 13

. Héctor Scarone (Uruguai) – 13

. Gabriel Batistuta (Argentina) – 13

13. Roberto Porta (Uruguay) – 12

. Ángel Romano (Uruguay) – 12