Lionel Messi is set to become Argentina's all-time record appearances holder when his country take on Bolivia in the Copa America.
Messi is still chasing an elusive major honour in international colours, a fact somewhat at odds with his gloriously decorated career at Barcelona.
Nevertheless, as he prepares to represent La Albiceleste for the 148th time, the 34-year-old should also reflect upon a brilliant body of work, where he has typically set new standards – most notably standing as Argentina's all-time record goalscorer with 73.
Here, Stats Perform takes a look at Messi's Argentina career in numbers as prepares to go past Javier Mascherano's appearance landmark.
CONMEBOL'S SCHOOL OF HARD KNOCKS
In the eternal argument between fans of Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, the Portugal superstar's international record is sometimes held up as a point of difference.
Ronaldo pulled level with Ali Daei's all-time record of 109 goals for his country during the reigning European champions' 2-2 draw with France at Euro 2020 last week.
But there are a collection of "gimme" opponents afforded to Ronaldo within the European qualifiers that Messi simply does not enjoy.
The arduous CONMEBOL World Cup qualification marathon means plenty of his Argentina caps have arrived against high-quality opposition.
The highest proportion of his caps have come in South American World Cup qualifiers, where he has featured 50 times. This is set against 30 Copa outings, 19 appearances at the World Cup and 47 caps in international friendlies.
HIGH FIVES, BRILLIANT TREBLES
Argentina's bitter rivals Brazil, Paraguay and their 2015 and 2016 Copa America final tormentors Chile have faced up to Messi more than any other nation.
He has played them all 11 times, scoring five goals versus each. Against Bolivia, he will be aiming to improve upon a record of three goals from nine outings, with La Paz's sapping altitude pleasingly not a factor for Messi on this occasion.
Three of those strikes versus Brazil came in one sparkling 4-3 friendly win at New Jersey's MetLife Stadium in 2012.
Overall, he has six international hat-tricks and none more telling than the sensational salvo to secure a 3-1 win away to Ecuador that virtually single-handedly dragged Argentina to Russia 2018.
NIGHTMARE START AND OTHER MILESTONES
Messi's extended run at the summit of world football was not so easy to predict when he marked his Argentina debut from the bench against Hungary in Budapest in 2005 with a red card almost immediately after coming on.
His first goal came against Croatia in Basel on cap number six, while the otherwise forgettable 2010 World Cup quarter-final defeat to Germany in Cape Town was Messi's 50th cap.
Cap 100 came against guest participants Jamaica in the 2015 Copa America, a campaign that ended in now familiar disappointment.
Whether it's 147 caps or 73 goals, it is the number one – that much desired maiden senior trophy with Argentina – that continues to drive Messi. Bolivia are the next team in his way.
Argentina's training facility named after Messi
Argentina have honoured Lionel Messi's World Cup heroics by naming their training facility after their talismanic captain.
Casa de Ezeiza, in Buenos Aires, houses Argentina's national team set-up, but it will now be known as Lionel Andres Messi.
Chiqui Tapia, president of the Argentine Football Association (AFA), confirmed the news on Saturday, tweeting: "We lived a historic day in our Casa de Ezeiza, which from today will be renamed Lionel Andres Messi, in homage to the best player in the world.
"I want to thank all the managers, players and employees of @afa for having been with us."
Messi dragged Argentina to glory in Qatar last year, emulating the success of the late Diego Maradona as La Albiceleste claimed their third world title, and first since 1986.
"This recognition is one of the nicest I've ever received," Messi posted on Instagram. "A great honour, thank you very much!!!"
Messi scored the 800th goal of his stellar career in Argentina's 2-0 friendly win over Panama on Thursday. The 35-year-old's next goal on the international stage will be his 100th for his country.
Tuchel's Bayern in-tray: Make Neuer decision, get Mane firing and find space for Muller
Bayern Munich shocked the Bundesliga by making a dramatic change in the dugout, replacing Julian Nagelsmann with Thomas Tuchel.
The decision came with Borussia Dortmund posing a serious threat to Bayern's hopes of an 11th consecutive league title.
Tuchel arrives with Bayern sitting one point off the Bundesliga summit and through to the Champions League quarter-finals, with the former BVB and Chelsea boss facing several pressing tasks.
Fending off his former club's challenge for domestic glory and plotting a route past Pep Guardiola's Manchester City will be among the immediate concerns, but there are others requiring Tuchel's attention.
From the futures of club stalwarts Manuel Neuer and Thomas Muller, to the need to suitably replace Robert Lewandowski, there will be plenty to keep Tuchel occupied until the end of the season and beyond.
Here, Stats Perform looks at five of the most pressing tasks facing Tuchel on his return to Germany.
Fix Bayern's sloppy backline
While Bayern boast the Bundesliga's best defensive record with 27 goals conceded this term, Tuchel – who was successful in making Chelsea tough to beat in his last managerial assignment – will be keen to examine a series of shortcomings at the back.
Having beaten Augsburg 5-3 in Nagelsmann's penultimate game at the helm, Bayern suffered a damaging 2-1 defeat at Bayer Leverkusen last time out, with Benjamin Pavard and Dayot Upamecano clumsily conceding a pair of second-half penalties.
With Nagelsmann known for employing a high defensive line and adopting an aggressive approach, Bayern have often appeared too open this campaign.
Of the Bundesliga-high 13 errors leading to shots made by Bayern players this season, three have resulted in goals, while last year's big-money recruit Matthijs de Ligt is yet to establish himself as a dominant defensive presence.
Tuchel's Chelsea kept five clean sheets in seven Champions League knockout games en route to being crowned European champions in 2021 – he will be confident of having a similar impact in his new job, given the defensive talent at his disposal.
Make crucial Neuer decision
The most controversial incident in Bayern's season before the change of coach came in January, when captain Neuer hit out at the club's decision to fire close friend and goalkeeping coach Toni Tapalovic.
Those comments were met with a furious reaction from the club's hierarchy, throwing Neuer's future in Munich into doubt.
A series of injuries – the latest a broken leg sustained during a skiing holiday – have limited Neuer to 16 appearances across all competitions this term, and with Yann Sommer's arrival giving Bayern two top-class goalkeepers to choose from, Tuchel has a decision to make.
While Neuer boasts a better save percentage (75.44 per cent) than Sommer (64.1) for Bayern this term, the 2014 World Cup winner will be 37 by the time he returns to fitness, and there may not be room for both shot-stoppers in Bayern's long-term plans.
Find Lewandowski's successor
No discussion of Bayern's inconsistent season would be complete without a mention of their failure to find an adequate replacement for goal machine Lewandowski.
Lewandowski left for Barcelona last year, having led the Bundesliga's scoring charts in six of his eight seasons with Bayern (2015–16, 2017–18, 2018–19, 2019–20, 2020–21 and 2021–22).
The Poland international hit 35 goals in as many league appearances in his final season with the Bavarian giants. This term, Jamal Musiala is their top Bundesliga marksman with 11 goals, one ahead of Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting.
While having five separate players on double figures across all competitions this term is no bad thing (Choupo-Moting, Musiala, Leroy Sane, Serge Gnabry and Sadio Mane), an established successor to Lewandowski is surely required.
Solve the Mane conundrum
On a related note, getting the best of last year's marquee arrival Mane will also be high on Tuchel's to-do list, with the Senegal attacker yet to hit the heights he reached at Liverpool.
Injuries and mixed form have meant Mane has started just 14 of Bayern's 25 league games, failing to net in any competition since a 6-2 win over Mainz in October.
Tuchel's previous success with a fluid forward line could bode well for Mane. In his only full Premier League campaign with Chelsea, the Blues were only outscored by Manchester City and Liverpool, with a plethora of players chipping in as the returning Romelu Lukaku fell out of favour.
Examine Muller's role
While the acquisition of a centre-forward will surely be at the forefront of Bayern's plans at the end of the season, the Bavarians' chances of short-term success could hinge on finding a regular role for Muller.
Muller, who became Bayern's all-time leading outfield appearance maker in the Bundesliga last month, has started just 14 league games this campaign, but his tally of 11 goal contributions (four goals, seven assists) in just 1,062 minutes demonstrates his lasting quality.
With Nagelsmann alternating between 4-2-3-1 and 3-5-2 shapes in recent weeks, Muller has featured in a number 10 role – where he previously thrived under Hansi Flick – and in a front two.
With high-stakes clashes against Dortmund and City on the horizon, Tuchel's first month at the helm could prove decisive, and finding a place for the experienced Muller could help the new boss make a flying start.
PSG chief Al-Khelaifi keen to extend Messi, Mbappe and Ramos
Paris Saint-Germain president Nasser Al-Khelaifi is keen to keep Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe and Sergio Ramos at the club.
Another disappointing exit in the Champions League round of 16 has cast doubt over the future of some of PSG's key players, as well as head coach Christophe Galtier.
Both Messi and Ramos are out of contract at the end of this season, with reports the former could make a shock return to Barcelona, while Mbappe has also been linked with a move away despite signing a bumper new contract at the start of this season to keep him at the club until 2025.
Despite the uncertainty at the club, Al-Khelaifi remains hopeful PSG will be able to keep their best players, though he also wants to see more young talent introduced into the team.
When asked about the futures of Messi, Mbappe and Ramos on Friday, Al-Khelaifi told Marca: "People want to know what is happening.
"We are committed to seeing them continue. We will examine what we are doing and how to ensure that we can continue and that we get it right.
"We're not going to make any mistakes. I think it's very important that we focus now on our season.
"We focus on youth and young talents. We will continue to invest in the club and in the transformation of the future within the academy."
PSG's second consecutive last-16 exit means their long wait to lift their maiden Champions League trophy goes on, with Mauricio Pochettino losing his job at the end of last season despite helping the club cruise to the Ligue 1 title.
With PSG so desperate to win Europe's top prize for the first time, Al-Khelaifi remains positive over the club's future, explaining: "We have three superstars, but also other fantastic talents. We are going to analyse the team, we have to work.
"The last four years have been fantastic, we have reached the final and it is important to improve every year as a club and to improve the team.
"It is not easy to win. There are many big clubs that fight to achieve it. You have to be in the Champions League, be lucky, make an effort, hope that there are no injuries.
"There is no margin for error, in the Champions League you pay dearly. There are pressures because there are many teams that qualify and many very big clubs.
"We are going to try every year and fight to achieve it."
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