But he arguably could not have asked for a trickier matchup than a meeting with the reigning world champions France.
This is not the first time the two nations have met across their footballing history, or indeed during the career of Argentina’s No.10.
MORE: Messi vs Mbappe: Who has the better record?
So, what can we learn from their past encounters with and without Messi?
Lionel Messi vs France
Messi has faced France on just two occasions across his career, with one win and one defeat to his name.
Messi best moments vs France
The highlight of Messi’s international meetings with France came when he netted his 11th international goal in a 2-0 friendly win in Marseille back in 2009.
That is in stark contrast to a devastating loss to the same opposition in the last World Cup, which came about despite Messi laying on two goals.
MORE: Complete list of World Cup Golden Boot winners
Argentina record vs. France
Argentina have faced France on 12 occasions overall, with three of those encounters coming at World Cups. Here is a full breakdown of their head-to-head record.
