Make it another career milestone for Lionel Messi .
When the Argentina legend took the field against Australia in the Round of 16 of the 2022 FIFA World Cup, he achieved a remarkable feat.
Argentina won the match thanks in part to a goal by Messi, who opened the scoring — although it was far from an easy match for the Albiceleste who hung on for the 2-1 win.
Messi joined a select group of elite players in history in that game, with 1,000 official matches played in their professional career.
And by being named in the side for the final of Qatar 2022 against France, the iconic Albiceleste No. 10 chalked up yet another record, as the player to have appeared in most World Cup matches ever.
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How many games has Messi played?
Here's how Messi reached four digits worth of appearances in his professional career:
| Team / Club | Matches played |
|---|---|
| Argentina (senior team only) | 172 |
| FC Barcelona (first team only) | 778 |
| Paris Saint-Germain | 53 |
| TOTAL | 1,003 |
Stats correct as of December 18, 2022
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How many games has Ronaldo played?
It's going to take Messi a bit to catch up to Cristiano Ronaldo, who holds the record for matches played by an outfield player (non-goalkeepers):
| Team / Club | Matches played |
|---|---|
| Portugal (senior team only) | 196 |
| Real Madrid | 438 |
| Manchester United | 346 |
| Juventus | 134 |
| Sporting CP | 31 |
| TOTAL | 1,145 |
Stats correct as of December 18, 2022
Most games played in history
Brazilian goalkeeper Rogerio Ceni holds the record for most official matches played against to International Federation of Football History & Statistics (IFFHS), which tracks records and milestone statistics in the sport.
The Sao Paulo legend, who also happens to be the goalkeeper with the most goals to his name, reached 1,214 matches played between Sao Paulo (1990-2015) and the Brazil national team.
Another goalkeeper, Englishman Peter Shilton (below) proclaimed himself as the player with most matches in history although the IFFHS only credits him with 1,206 matches, good for second on the all-time list. Shilton played for England as well as eight English clubs between 1966-1997 before retiring at 47.
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Among outfield players, Ronaldo has the most official matches with 1,145 matches since he debuted as a professional at the end of 2002.
Other legends like Roberto Carlos, Gianluigi Buffon, Iker Casillas, Raul, Paolo Maldini, Ryan Giggs, and Frank Lampard have between 1,000-1,100 matches played.
Top 10 players with most games played
| Rank | Player | Matches played |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Rogerio Ceni (Brazil) | 1,214 |
| 2. | Peter Shilton (England) | 1,206 |
| 3. | Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal) | 1,145* |
| 4. | Javier Zanetti (Argentina) | 1,100 |
| 5. | Roberto Carlos (Brazil) | 1,090 |
| 6. | Gianluigi Buffon (Italy) | 1,073* |
| 7. | Ray Clemence (England) | 1,069 |
| 8. | Iker Casillas (Spain) | 1,048 |
| 9. | Pat Jennings (N. Ireland) | 1,042 |
| 10. | Glenn Ferguson (N. Ireland) | 1,041 |
*Still active. Stats correct as of December 18, 2022
Which Argentine player has played the most matches?
Javier 'El Pupi' Zanetti is the Argentine player with the most official matches played in football history. The Inter Milan legend played 858 games with the Italian team, 143 with the Argentina national team, 66 with Banfield in Argentina and 33 with Talleres de Remedios de Escalada.
In total Zanetti reached a total of 1,100 official matches between 1992 and 2014 when he retired at age 40.