Superstar Lionel Messi only managed to score one goal in the 2024 Copa América in the United States against Canada, in a 2-0 semi-final victory last Tuesday, and has a total of 14 goals, three behind the all-time top scorers in the continental tournament.
‘La Pulga’ had a Copa América with physical problems resulting from the group stage match against Peru and this Sunday, in the 1-0 victory in the final against Colombia, he had to leave the field in the 66th minute.
In this way, Messi rose to fifth place among the greatest scorers in the history of the oldest national team competition in the world, which began to be played in 1916, alongside Peruvian Paolo Guerrero and Chilean Eduardo Vargas, both also present in this edition in the United States.
At 37 years old during the tournament, Messi failed to break a new personal record in his prolific career, despite having won his fourth title for the ‘Albiceleste’ this Sunday, after the 2021 Copa América, the 2022 World Cup in Qatar and the Final against Italy also in 2022.
Brazilian Zizinho and Argentine Norberto Méndez continue to be the top scorers in the Copa América with 17 goals, followed by Uruguayan Severino Varela and Peruvian Teodoro Fernández, who scored fifteen each.
Top scorers in Copa América history:
1. Norberto ‘Tucho’ Mendez (Argentina) 17 goals
. Zizinho (Brazil) 17
3. Teodoro Fernandez (Peru) 15
. Severino Varela (Uruguay) 15
5. Lionel Messi (Argentina) 14
. Paolo Guerrero (Peru) 14
. Eduardo Vargas (Chile) 14
8. Ademir (Brazil) 13
. Jair Rosa Pinto (Brazil) 13
. Jose Manuel Moreno (Argentina) 13
. Hector Scarone (Uruguay) 13
. Gabriel Batistuta (Argentina) 13
13. Roberto Porta (Uruguay) 12
. Angel Romano (Uruguay) 12
Copa América top scorers by edition:
Year-Host Name Country Goals
- 1916-Argentina Isabelino Gradin Uruguay 3
- 1917-Uruguay Angel Romano Uruguay 4
- 1919-Brazil Arthur Friedenreich Brazil 4
- Neco Brazil 4
- 1920-Chile Angel Romano Uruguay 4
- Jose Perez Uruguay 4
- 1921-Argentina Julio Libonatti Argentina 3
- 1922-Brazil July France Argentina 4
- 1923-Uruguay Vicente Aguirre Argentina 3
- Pedro Petrone Uruguay 3
- 1924-Uruguay Pedro Petrone Uruguay 4
- 1925-Argentina Manuel Seoane Argentina 6
- 1926-Chile David Arellano Chile 7
- 1927-Peru Roberto Figueroa Uruguay 4
- 1929-Argentina Aurelio Gonzalez Paraguay 5
- 1935-Peru Herminio Masantonio Argentina 4
- 1937-Argentina Raul Toro Chile 7
- 1939-Peru Teodoro Fernandez Peru 7
- 1941-Chile Juan Marvezzi Argentina 5
- 1942-Uruguay Herminio Masantonio Argentina 7
- Jose Manuel Moreno Argentina 7
- [1945-ChileNorbertoMendezArgentina6
- Brazil 6
- 1946-Argentina Jose Maria Medina Uruguay 7
- 1947-Ecuador Nicolás Falero Uruguay 7
- 1949-Brazil Jair Brazil 9
- 1953-Peru Francisco Molina Chile 8
- 1955-Chile Rodolfo Micheli Argentina 8
- 1956-Uruguay Enrique Hormazabal Chile 4
- 1957-Peru Javier Ambrois Uruguay 9
- Humberto Male Argentina 9
- 1959-Argentina Pele Brazil 8
- 1959-Ecuador Jose Sanfilippo Argentina 5
- 1963-Bolivia Carlos Raffo Ecuador 6
- 1967-Uruguay Luis Artime Argentina 5
- 1975-No headquarters Ernesto Díaz Colombia 4
- 1975-No headquarters Leopoldo Luque Argentina 4
- 1979-No headquarters Eugenio Morel Paraguay 4
- Jorge Peredo Chile 4
- 1983-No headquarters Carlos Aguilera Uruguay 3
- Jorge Burruchaga Argentina 3
- Roberto Dynamite Brazil 3
- Eduardo Malasquez Peru 3
- 1987-Argentina Arnoldo Iguaran Colombia 4
- 1989-Brazil Bebeto Brazil 6
- 1991-Chile Gabriel Batistuta Argentina 6
- 1993-Equador Jose Dolgetta Venezuela 4
- 1995-Uruguay Gabriel Batistuta Argentina 4
- Luis Garcia Mexico 4
- 1997-Bolivia Luis Hernandez Mexico 6
- 1999-Paraguay Ronaldo Brazil 5
- Rivaldo Brazil 5
- 2001-Colombia Victor Aristizabal Colombia 6
- 2004-Peru Adriano Brazil 7
- 2007-Venezuela Robinho Brazil 6
- 2011-Argentina Paolo Guerrero Peru 5
- 2015-Chile Paolo Guerrero Peru 4
- Eduardo Vargas Chile 4
- 2016-USA Eduardo Vargas Chile 6
- 2019-Brazil Paolo Guerrero Peru 3
- Everton Brasil 3
- 2021-Brazil Lionel Messi Argentina 4
- Luis Diaz Colombia 4
- 2024-USA Lautaro Martinez Argentina 5
Source: Gazetaesportiva
Kingston is an accomplished author and journalist, known for his in-depth and engaging writing on sports. He currently works as a writer at 247 News Agency, where he has established himself as a respected voice in the sports industry.
