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Lionel Messi returns to PSG with the goal of wiping out the title


Lionel Messi back at Paris Saint-Germainhis training ground on Wednesday to continue his day job, returning to the football club 17 days after winning the 2022 World Cup glory for Argentina like he was given an honor guard by his staff and teammates.

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Now that he’s successfully added football’s biggest prize to a list of honors that includes the Copa America, the Champions League, multiple championship and cup titles and even an Olympic gold medal, it seems borderless. world to conquer for Messi when he’s ready to conquer back into action.

Messi – a seven-time Ballon d’Or winner at the individual level – has won 40 major honors in his career for club and country to date, but there is one exception that has yet to be announced, At least for now.

It may sound hard to believe, but there is only one major tournament that Messi has entered and has not won since he turned professional nearly two decades ago: the Coupe de France.

The 35-year-old has only made one appearance in the French national cup – a penalty shootout defeat in the last 16. Nicewho lost the finals first Nantes — meaning this was the only high profile competition he entered that didn’t end up winning.

However, PSG are only half a dozen games away from being able to correct the mistake, as Christophe Galtier’s side kick off their Coupe de France 2022-23 campaign on Friday against La Berrichonne de Chateauroux in round 64.

Whether or not Messi makes his first appearance at club level after the World Cup against third-place side at Stade Gaston Petit, he is just six games away from completing an extraordinary clean. All that is needed is for PSG to reach the final – which they have done eight times in the last 12 years – and lift the trophy for a record 15th time.

As things are, Messi has won 11 of the 12 senior tournaments he has entered for club and country since his professional debut in 2004. That total rises to 12 out of 13 if victories are included. won by Argentina at the 2008 Summer Olympics – although the men’s soccer tournament is officially designated as an under-23 tournament, so it is not included here.


Argentina

CONMEBOL Copa America (winner in 2021)

Messi had to wait until the age of 34 to win the first major international title of his career – although he had previously won a gold medal at the 2008 Olympics and also won the World Youth Championship. FIFA World 2005, a tournament for the under-20 age group. When Argentina beat Brazil in the 2021 Copa America final, it was the talented striker’s 34th appearance in the tournament in total, spanning six editions of the tournament having failed in the previous three finals.

Finalissima (champion in 2022)

Messi and Argentina continue to win the Copa America to beat the reigning European champions Italy and lifted the CONMEBOL-UEFA Cup of Champions last summer, adding more silverware to his long and often arduous international career.

World Football Championship (champion in 2022)

Messi played 60 World Cup qualifiers and 25 World Cup finals matches (a record for a male player) before he lifted the prestigious trophy after the dramatic 2022 final between Argentina and France. Albiceleste won on the new penalty spot last month.


LaLiga (10 titles won in 2004-05, 2005-06, 2008-09, 2009-10, 2010-11, 2012-13, 2014-15, 2015-16, 2017-18 and 2018-19)

Messi played 520 LaLiga games for Barcelona, ​​made more appearances in the Spanish top flight than any other and scored 474 goals along the way. He’s also won the LaLiga title more times than anyone else, winning 10 winners’ medals in the 17 seasons he spent at Camp Nou. He also made 32 appearances for Barca’s B and C teams early in his career, but because those teams play in Spain’s lower leagues they are not considered leagues. big.

Copa del Rey (7 titles won in 2008-09, 2011-12, 2014-15, 2015-16, 2016-17, 2017-18 and 2020-21)

Messi enjoys sustained success in Spaindomestic cup tournament too, playing 80 games and scoring 56 goals — including one of the best goals of his career in the 2014-15 final against Sport Club. In total, he has won the title seven times as a Barca player, including four in a row between 2014-15 and 2017-18.

Supercopa de Espana (8 titles in 2005, 2006, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2016 and 2018)

The Spanish Super Cup is often pitted between the reigning LaLiga champions and the Copa del Rey champions, with Messi amassing an impressive eight trophies in nine appearances against Barca, scored 14 goals in 20 games during that process.

UEFA Champions League (4 titles 2005-06, 2008-09, 2010-11 and 2014-15)

Over 19 seasons, Messi played 161 matches and scored 129 Champions League goals for Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain. While his quest to win the first European Cup for his current club will continue next month Bayern Munich In the round of 16, Messi has won the Champions League 4 times with Barca, most notably in successful of a victory over Manchester United In 2011.

UEFA Super Cup (3 titles in 2009, 2011 and 2015)

In a friendly match between the winners of the Champions League and Europa League against each other, Messi was a fundamental part of the team that took home Barcelona’s first UEFA Super Cup since 1997 when they beat Porto in the 2011 edition. The Argentinian then won the title again in both 2011 and 2015, which was still the last time Barca appeared in the match.

FIFA Club World Cup (3 titles in 2009, 2011 and 2015)

Messi played 5 games, scored 5 goals and lifted the trophy 3 times at the Club World Cup – the annual small knockout tournament organized by FIFA that brings together the defending champions of six continental confederations along with the national championship champion of the host country.


Paris Saint-Germain

Ligue 1 (champion 2021-22)

After 9 months of waiting, Messi won the Ligue 1 title in his first season with Paris Saint-Germain, making 26 appearances, contributing 6 goals and 15 assists as he gradually found his way. foot in the top French league. This season, with 17 games passed, he has scored 7 goals and 10 assists.

Trophee des Champions (win in 2022)

Messi then went on to win a second club title with PSG last July when the Ligue 1 champions beat Coupe de France champions Nantes 4-0 in Tel-Aviv.

Coupe de France (0 titles)

The Coupe de France is Messi’s trophy, at least for the time being. To be fair, his only appearance in the tournament was in January 2022, when a strong PSG side were knocked out by Nice in the round of 16. The match ended goalless within the allotted time and was ultimately determined by a penalty shootout, with Aiglon won 6-5 in the penalty shootout. Messi’s penalty kick record.

The ESPN Statistics & Information team contributed to this report.

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