MAN OF THE MILLENNIUM: LIONEL MESSI

Lionel Messi Will Play His 1000th Professional Game Against Australia In Argentina's Round Of 16 Match

By Rashmi Goel

When Argentina faces Australia in the last 16 of Qatar 2022 on Saturday, Lionel Messi will carry the expectations of millions on his shoulders. The milestone will mark Messi's 1,000th match in an extraordinary career - though this will depend on whether he can inspire his country past Australia and all the way to World Cup glory.

A little over a year after helping La Albiceleste end their 28-year wait for a major title with a Copa America victory, Messi has already accepted this will be his final opportunity to lift the most prestigious trophy of them all. In anticipation of his milestone appearance for both club and country, Stats Perform examines the numbers behind the seven-time Ballon d'Or winner's previous 999 appearances - as well as why these next two weeks will likely change his career forever.

It Was Barcelona's Breakthrough That Changed Everything

The 16th of October, 2004. The 17-year-old Messi replaced Deco from the substitutes' bench in Barcelona's 1-0 win over city rivals Espanyol, and the course of football as we know it changed. A testament to the mini maestro's longevity, he has played alongside two players born after his Barcelona debut - Warren Zaire-Emery and El Chadaille Bitshiabu, born in March 2006 and May 2005, respectively. As of August 2021, both teenagers are on the books of Paris Saint-Germain, where Messi practices his craft following the emotional end to his two-decade association with Barcelona. Messi's career appearances have been predominant during his 17 years at Camp Nou. During his time at Barcelona, he appeared 778 times, scoring 672 goals and assisting 265, for a total of 937 direct goals. Playing 47 times against Barca's fiercest rivals, he made more appearances against Real Madrid than any other opponent.

The Guardiola era was a good one

PSG pounced on Barcelona's inability to offer Messi a new contract due to their dire financial situation. This season, the superstar forward has enjoyed a resurgence from an underwhelming first season in Paris. During Messi's career with the Parisians, he has played 53 matches and has scored 23 goals and assisted 28 goals for a combined 51 goals - just short of one goal involvement per match on average. The club has already had two different managers since Mauricio Pochettino left the club in May, with Christophe Galtier replacing him. The number of head coaches Messi has worked under now stands at 19. From 2008 to 2012, Messi played his most games at Barcelona under Pep Guardiola, appearing on 219 occasions and scoring 211 goals. Among the managers who have given him his debut, Luis Enrique is next with 158 games, Ernesto Valverde with 124, and Frank Rijkaard with 110 matches.

Making 1,000^th Appearance

This is Messi's 1,000th appearance for club and country - and what a significant milestone for Argentina, which recovered from a slow start in the group phase to advance. He has appeared in 22 previous World Cup games - one more than Diego Maradona - scoring eight goals and assisting six others. Despite Messi's game-changing abilities, he has yet to score in the knockout stages of the World Cup - 23 shots, no goals. It is interesting to note that Cristiano Ronaldo experienced the same problem (25 shots without a goal). On what will be Messi's 169th senior cap, 17 years after his international debut against Hungary, which came just 10 games into his club and national career, Messi will be seeking to correct that error. Even though this will be a special occasion for Messi, he will be hoping to reach 1,003 matches before Argentina's Qatar campaign ends. Assuming Argentina wins the World Cup for the first time since 1986, Messi will have a truly defining moment of a career that still has much to offer.