Lionel Messi becomes the second player after Ronaldo to score 800 career goals

With 13 goals and eight assists, Messi won the Golden Ball and the FIFA Men’s Player of the Year for his performance after the FIFA World Cup 2022.

This was the first international match for the Argentine since winning the FIFA World Cup in Qatar last year. | Photo Credit: Getty Images

Lionel Messi became only the second player after Cristiano Ronaldo to score 800 career goals when he scored against Panama at the Monumental Stadium in Argentina on Friday.

This was the first international match for the Argentine since winning the FIFA World Cup in Qatar last year. The 35-year-old achieved this feat with a free-kick goal in the 88th minute of the match to make it 2-0 in favour of La Albiceleste.

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With 13 goals and eight assists, Messi won the Golden Ball and the FIFA Men’s Player of the Year for his performance after the tournament.

Cristiano Ronaldo had become the first player to achieve that feat, scoring two goals against Arsenal in Manchester United’s 3-2 victory in the Premier League.

The goal also took him close to the century mark in terms of International goals where he is chasing the Portuguese and currently sits 19 goals short of him.