Cristiano Ronaldo holds the record for the most goals in football history. 

With 901 strikes to his name at club and international level combined, Cristiano Ronaldo tops the list for the most goals in football.

Cristiano Ronaldo’s long-time rival, Lionel Messi, features second on the list for the most goals in football history. The 2022 FIFA World Cup winner has netted a staggering 838 goals in his legendary career so far.

The likes of Pele, Romário and Ferenc Puskas complete the top five list for the most goals in football history.

Apart from Ronaldo and Messi, Robert Lewandowski and Luis Suarez are some of the other active footballers who have scored more than 500 goals at club and international level combined.

Know players with most goals in football history.

Most goals in football: Know top 10 highest goal-scorers of all-time

Rank	Player	Nationality	Span	Goals
1	Cristiano Ronaldo	Portugal	2002-present	901
2	Lionel Messi	Argentina	2004-present	838
3	Pele	Brazil	1957-1977	762
4	Romário	Brazil	1985-2007	755
5	Ferenc Puskás	Hungary	1943-1966	724
6	Josef Bican	Austria	1931-1955	722
7	Jimmy Jones	Northern Ireland	1947-1964	648
8	Gerd Muller	Germany	1964-1981	634
9	Robert Lewandowski	Poland	2008-present	630
10	Joe Bambrick	Northern Ireland	1926-1943	629

Cristiano Ronaldo | 901 goals

Widely regarded as one of the greatest footballers in history, Portuguese footballer Cristiano Ronaldo is currently the top goalscorer of all time. The star forward has netted an astonishing 901 senior career goals for club and country. At the club level, Ronaldo has been a prolific goalscorer for the likes of Real Madrid, Manchester United, Juventus, Al-Nassr and Sporting CP. Furthermore, Ronaldo holds the record for the most goals in international football. Since his senior national debut for Portugal in 2003, Ronaldo has scored 132 goals in 214 appearances so far. For his extraordinary goal-scoring record, Ronaldo bagged several individual awards including five Ballon d'Or awards, a record three UEFA Men's Player of the Year Awards, and four European Golden Shoes, the most by a European player. He has won 33 trophies in his career, including seven league titles, five UEFA Champions Leagues, the UEFA European Championship and the UEFA Nations League.  

Lionel Messi | 838 goals

Argentine footballer Lionel Messi is second on the list for the most goals in football history. Arguably the greatest player in football history, Lionel Messi has mesmerised the fans with both his playmaking as well as goalscoring. The left-footed football magician has scored 838 goals in his illustrious career so far. Having spent his majority of his professional football career at FC Barcelona, Messi is the club’s all-time top scorer with 672 goals in all competitions. He has also netted a few goals for the likes of Paris Saint-Germain and Inter Miami. The Rosario-born footballer features second on the list for the most goals in international football (109) behind rival Cristiano Ronaldo. Messi is the most decorated player in football history with 44 team trophies to his name including the FIFA World Cup, two Copa America titles, 10 La Liga titles, seven Copa del Rey titles and four UEFA Champions League titles. On the personal front, Messi has bagged a record eight Ballon d'Or awards, a record six European Golden Shoes, and was named the world's best player for a record eight times by FIFA.

Pele | 762 goals

Pele features third on the list for the most goals in football history. Edson Arantes do Nascimento, nicknamed Pele, is often considered to be the greatest football player of all time. Among the most successful and popular sports figures of the 20th century, Pele scored 762 goals in his legendary career at the club and international level combined. Pele’s record of 1,279 goals in 1,363 matches, including friendlies, is recognised as a Guinness World Record. Having played as a forward and attacking midfielder, Pele won three FIFA World Cups with Brazil in 1958, 1962 and 1970. With 77 goals in 92 games, Pele was the national team’s top scorer for over 50 years before Neymar broke the record. At the club level, Pele is the all-time top scorer for Santos with 643 goals in 659 matches. During his time, Pele helped Santos clinch the 1962 and 1963 Copa Libertadores and the 1962 and 1963 Intercontinental Cup. He also scored 37 goals for the New York Cosmos between 1975 and 1977. 

Photo credit: Imago

Portugal forward Cristiano Ronaldo holds the record for scoring the most hat-tricks by an active footballer, with 66 hat-tricks during his trophy-laden career so far.

Ronaldo, who has the most headed goals in the 21st century among his innumerable records, registered the first hat-trick of his senior career in Manchester United’s 6-0 win against Newcastle United in 2008 while his last came in the Red Devils' 3-2 win against Tottenham Hotspur in a Premier League encounter during his second stint with the club.

In a Portugal shirt, Cristiano's last hat-trick came in Portugal’s 5-0 win against Luxembourg in a World Cup 2022 qualifying game. His triple strike was his 10th hat-trick for the national team and he became the first player to score 10 hat-tricks in international football.

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�?@Cristiano has now scored the most hat-tricks in international football history. pic.twitter.com/Unldt3dhuq

�?SPORF (@Sporf) October 13, 2021

Furthermore, Cristiano Ronaldo is also the oldest player to score a hat-trick in the FIFA World Cup. At 33 years and 130 days, the Portugal skipper scored thrice to help his side draw 3-3 against Spain.

Lionel Messi is second on this list with 57 hat-tricks. The Argentina captain notched his maiden hat-trick in a 2007 El Clasico fixture against Real Madrid, which ended in a 3-3 draw.

751 - Earlier today, Lionel Messi notched the 55th hat-trick of his career, and his seventh for Argentina. In doing so, he surpassed Pelé (77) as the highest scoring South American player in men's internationals (79), whilst also scoring his 750th (and 751st) career goals. Goat? pic.twitter.com/FX8CfBIbJl

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Additionally, Messi is the first player to score five goals in a UEFA Champions League game with his effort coming in Barcelona’s 7-1 win over Bayer Leverkusen in 2012.

Lionel Messi’s strike partner at Inter Miami Luis Suarez is next on the list for most hattricks having netted 31 trebles so far. He's followed in fourth spot by Poland forward Robert Lewandowski, who has 30 hat-tricks.

Meanwhile, Bayern Munich and England striker Harry Kane completes the top five list for most hattricks by an active footballer in the 21st century.

Most hattricks by an active footballer

Players	Total hat-tricks
Cristiano Ronaldo	66
Lionel Messi	57
Luis Suarez	31
Robert Lewandowski	30
Harry Kane	22
Erling Haaland	21
Neymar	21
Kylian Mbappe	19

Author: William Paul

Featured photo: AFP / DANIEL LEAL 

The Premier League Golden Boot is an annual football award bestowed to the leading goalscorer in the Premier League.

Since the inception of the Premier League in 1992, there have been 26 different players to win the Premier League Golden Boot in the last three decades.

Teddy Sheringham won the inaugural Premier League Golden Boot in 1993. Playing for Tottenham Hotspur, the former England forward netted 22 goals in 41 games to bag the prestigious award.

Later in 1994, Newcastle United’s Andy Cole won the Premier League Golden Boot after he scored 34 goals in 40 games that season.

Alan Shearer then became the first player to win the award in three consecutive seasons. He claimed the Premier League Golden Boot in 1994-95, 1995-96 and 1996-97 seasons.

In 1999, Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink and Dwight Yorke were the first non-English and non-European winners, respectively, when they shared the award with Michael Owen.

Legendary Arsenal striker Thierry Henry has the most Premier League Golden Boot awards. He won the award on four occasions in 2001-02, 2003-04, 2004-05 and 2005-06.

Thierry Henry also became the second player after Alan Shearer to win the award in three successive seasons.

Meanwhile, Manchester City’s Erling Haaland scripted history as he scored the most goals to win the Premier League Golden Boot.

In the 2022-23 season, Erling Haaland won the award after he scored 36 goals in just 35 matches. Haaland once again bagged the award in the 2023-24 season with 27 goals in 31 games.

Former Chelsea forward Nicolas Anelka netted the fewest goals to bag the Golden Boot outright with 19 goals in 2008-09.

However, the all-time record for lowest number of goals scored to be presented the award is 18 goals, which was achieved during the 1997-98 and 1998-99 seasons.

Chris Sutton, Dion Dublin and Michael Owen shared the award with 18 goals in 1998, while the same thing was repeated by Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink, Dwight Yorke and Michael Owen in 1999.

Get Premier League Golden Boot winners list.

Premier League Golden Boot winners list

Season	Player	Club	Goals
1992-93	Teddy Sheringham	Tottenham Hotspur	22
1993-94	Andy Cole	Newcastle United	34
1994-95	Alan Shearer	Blackburn Rovers	34
1995-96	Alan Shearer	Blackburn Rovers	31
1996-97	Alan Shearer	Newcastle United	25
1997-98	Chris Sutton	Blackburn Rovers	18
	Dion Dublin	Coventry City	18
	Michael Owen	Liverpool	18
1998-99	Michael Owen	Liverpool	18
	Dwight Yorke	Manchester United	18
	Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink	Leeds United	18
1999-2000	Kevin Phillips	Sunderland	30
2000-01	Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink	Chelsea	23
2001-02	Thierry Henry	Arsenal	24
2002-03	Ruud van Nistelrooy	Manchester United	25
2003-04	Thierry Henry	Arsenal	30
2004-05	Thierry Henry	Arsenal	25
2005-06	Thierry Henry	Arsenal	27
2006-07	Didier Drogba	Chelsea	20
2007-08	Cristiano Ronaldo	Manchester United	31
2008-09	Nicolas Anelka	Chelsea	19
2009-10	Didier Drogba	Chelsea	29
2010-11	Carlos Tevez	Manchester City	20
	Dimitar Berbatov	Manchester United	20
2011-12	Robin van Persie	Arsenal	30
2012-13	Robin van Persie	Manchester United	26
2013-14	Luis Suárez	Liverpool	31
2014-15	Sergio Agüero	Manchester City	26
2015-16	Harry Kane	Tottenham Hotspur	25
2016-17	Harry Kane	Tottenham Hotspur	29
2017-18	Mohamed Salah	Liverpool	32
2018-19	Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang	Arsenal	22
	Sadio Mané	Liverpool	22
	Mohamed Salah	Liverpool	22
2019-20	Jamie Vardy	Leicester City	23
2020-21	Harry Kane	Tottenham Hotspur	23
2021-22	Mohamed Salah	Liverpool	23
	Son Heung-min	Tottenham Hotspur	23
2022-23	Erling Haaland	Manchester City	36
2023-24	Erling Haaland	Manchester City	27

Most Premier League Golden Boot won by a player

Awards	Player	Seasons
4	Thierry Henry	2001�?2, 2003�?4, 2004�?5, 2005�?6
3	Harry Kane	2015�?6, 2016�?7, 2020�?1
3	Mohamed Salah	2017�?8, 2018�?9, 2021�?2
3	Alan Shearer	1994�?5, 1995�?6, 1996�?7
2	Erling Haaland	2022-23, 2023-24
2	Didier Drogba	2006�?7, 2009�?0
2	Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink	1998�?9, 2000�?1
2	Michael Owen	1997�?8, 1998�?9
2	Robin van Persie	2011�?2, 2012�?3

Photo credit: Alamy

Paris Saint-Germain forward Lionel Messi has provided the most assists in football. The Argentina captain has tallied 390 assists in his record-breaking career for club and country.

Messi ended his maiden league campaign with PSG with 15 assists in 26 Ligue 1 outings. This includes a hat-trick of assists for his new club against Clermont Foot in April 2022.

His hat-trick of assists for PSG was the sixth instance in his career where the eight-time Ballon d'Or winner provided three assists in a single game. Furthermore, Messi also became the first player to rack up a hat-trick of assists for two different clubs, having previously done it for FC Barcelona.

Former Arsenal midfielder Mesut Ozil tops the list for most hat-trick assists in football. Ozil has done it on eight occasions, and Messi's recent hat-trick of assists saw him join former team-mate Cesc Fabregas on six career assist hat-tricks.

Messi is also the top assist provider in the history of Spanish La Liga. The 35-year-old forward has tallied a whopping 193 assists in Spain’s top-tier football league; a number which is significantly higher than the second-placed Xavi (117) on the list.

Bayern Munich’s creative engine, Thomas Muller is second on the list with 296 career assists. Meanwhile, Messi’s former teammate and current Gremio frontman, Luis Suarez is third on the list of most assists in football. The Uruguayan has recorded a total of 285 assists to date. 

Juventus and Argentina winger Angel di Maria is fourth on the list with 277 assists. Following the former Paris Saint-Germain star is his former Real Madrid teammate and five-time Ballon d’Or winner Cristiano Ronaldo. Ronaldo has provided 268 assists in his career. 

Most assists in football

Player	Team (current)	Assists
Lionel Messi	Inter Miami	390
Thomas Muller	Bayern Munich	296
Luis Suarez	Inter Miami	285
Angel di Maria	Benfica	277
Cristiano Ronaldo	Al Nassr	268

Featured photo: AFP / Ben Stansall

Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami will begin their pre-season 2024 campaign against the El Salvador national football team in a friendly at the Estadio Cuscatlan in San Salvador, El Salvador. 

The El Salvador vs Inter Miami pre-season 2024 match will start at 6:30 AM IST on Saturday, January 20. Live streaming of the match will be available in India.

Under head coach Gerardo Martino, Inter Miami are scheduled to play seven pre-season 2024 games in order to prepare themselves for MLS 2024 season.

After a short visit to El Salvador, Inter Miami will travel to Hong Kong, Japan and Saudi Arabia before concluding their pre-season 2024 tour in Dallas, Texas.

Following Inter Miami’s pre-season 2024 opener vs El Salvador, they will square off against FC Dallas at the Cotton Bowl Stadium in Dallas on January 22 (January 23 as per IST).

The MLS outfit will later visit Saudi Arabia to participate in the Riyadh Season Cup 2024.

Inter Miami are scheduled to play Saudi Pro League giants Al-Hilal at the Kingdom Arena on January 29.

Messi’s Miami will also lock horns with Ronaldo’s Al-Nassr in the much-awaited �?/span>Last Dance�?clash at the same venue on February 1.

The MLS side will later travel to Hong Kong to play against a specially invited Hong Kong Team at the Hong Kong Stadium on February 4.

Inter Miami will also visit Japan to play J1 League side Vissel Kobe at the Japan National Stadium in Tokyo on February 7.

Lastly, they will conclude the pre-season 2024 tour with a friendly against Messi’s boyhood club Newell's Old Boys at the DRV PNK Stadium in Fort Lauderdale, Florida on February 15 (February 16 as per IST).

Meanwhile, Inter Miami will aim to bounce back after a disappointing MLS campaign last season.

Having registered just nine wins in 34 matches, Miami finished second from bottom in the Eastern Conference standings.

Having roped in former Barcelona forward Luis Suarez ahead of the new season, Miami will start as one of the favourites to win the MLS with the likes of Sergio Busquets, Jordi Alba and Messi in their ranks.

Inter Miami pre-season 2024 schedule and fixtures

All match times are in India Standard Time (IST)

Day and Date	Match	Venue	Time (IST)
Saturday, January 20	El Salvador vs Inter Miami	Estadio Cuscatlan, San Salvador	6:30 AM
Tuesday, January 23	FC Dallas vs Inter Miami	Cotton Bowl, Dallas	4:30 AM
Monday, January 29	Al-Hilal vs Inter Miami	Kingdom Arena, Riyadh	11:30 PM
Thursday, February 1	Al-Nassr vs Inter Miami	Kingdom Arena, Riyadh	11:30 PM
Sunday, February 4	Hong Kong XI vs Inter Miami	Hong Kong Stadium, Hong Kong	2:30 PM
Wednesday, February 7	Vissel Kobe vs Inter Miami	Japan National Stadium, Tokyo	3:30 PM
Friday, February 16	Inter Miami vs Newell's Old Boys	DRV PNK Stadium, Fort Lauderdale	6:00 AM

Where to watch Inter Miami pre-season 2024 matches live in India

Live streaming of Inter Miami’s pre-season 2024 matches will be available on MLSsoccer.com, MLSes.com and MLS Season Pass on Apple TV.

There will be no live telecast of Inter Miami’s pre-season 2024 matches on any TV channel in India.

Photo credit: Alamy

What is the best attacking trio in football history is a question fiercely debated among football fans. While football teams play with different attacking strategies and deploy varying tactics depending on their manager, some of the best offences in football history have featured attacking trios. 

Some managers prefer to go with two strikers up front serving as target men with midfielders and fullbacks providing the width, while others go with one striker up front. However, most of the successful teams in football history have more often than not deployed attacking trios, giving rise to the question: what is the best trio in football history?

A football attacking trio with good chemistry between themselves has been a long-existing and tried-and-trusted formula in the sport. An attacking trio features one centre forward and two attack-minded players in the wide areas operating from either side.

From the the Brazilian national team of yesteryear where Pele, Jairzinho and Tostao took up the duties of going forward, to the modern day iconic tridents of Messi-Suarez-Neymar at Barcelona and Benzema-Bale-Ronaldo at Real Madrid - football fans have seen plenty of explosive attacking trios over the years. 

Here we look at some of the best trios in football history which gave opposition defences nightmares while on the pitch. 

Best trio in football history 

MSN

With the purchase of Luis Suarez after the 2014 FIFA World Cup, Barcelona assembled an attacking trio that ripped defences apart for fun. The Uruguayan frontman joined the company of Lionel Messi and Neymar Jr, bringing together one of the best trios in football history. 

Between the three of them, Messi, Suarez and Neymar scored 364 goals between themselves from the beginning of the 2014-15 season until Neymar Jr left Barcelona, bringing an end to the trio in 2017. 

They won the coveted treble in their first full season under Luis Enrique in 2014-15, scoring 122 goals between themselves. 

BBC

Another trio that was in full swing during the same time period as MSN was Real Madrid’s BBC, consisting of Gareth Bale, Karim Benzema and Cristiano Ronaldo. 

In their first full season together, the trio scored 97 goals between them and went on to win the Champions League final against Atletico Madrid in 2014. This attacking trio won four Champions League titles in five seasons as well as two league titles. 

RRR

Among national teams, the combination that gets the most attention in recent years is Brazil’s famed trio of Ronaldo, Rivaldo and Ronaldinho, referred to as the ‘Three Rs of football�? They are often regarded as the best trio in football history, with each player showcasing unique flair, unparalleled quality and skill in the team. 

Their exploits helped Brazil win the FIFA World Cup in 2002, where they scored 15 goals between themselves. They also won the Copa America in 1999, scoring a combined 11 goals.

Photo Credit: Alamy

Former Guatemala forward Carlos Ruiz holds the record for most goals in FIFA World Cup qualifiers.

The striker, who featured in 133 international matches for Guatemala, scored 39 goals in 47 qualifying matches.

Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo could break Ruiz’s record in the upcoming FIFA World Cup 2022 qualifiers.

The Manchester United forward has struck 36 times in 45 qualifying matches and is three goals away from adding yet another record to his resume.

Ali Daeli, who was the leading goalscorer in international football until Cristiano Ronaldo broke the record in September 2021, is third for most goals scored in FIFA World Cup qualifiers.

The legendary Iranian forward scored 34 goals in 49 games and is fondly remembered for his four goals in Iran’s 7-0 win against Laos in a 2006 World Cup qualifying match.

Poland’s Robert Lewandowski has scored 29 goals in 36 World Cup qualifying matches, putting him in fourth spot on the list for most goals in FIFA World Cup qualifiers.

The Bayern Munich star has netted a hat-trick on three occasions in World Cup qualifiers and is poised to add more to his tally in the Path C final of their European World Cup qualifiers against Sweden/Czech Republic.

Luis Suarez completes the top five list for players with the most goals in FIFA World Cup qualifiers. The Uruguayan attacker has struck 28 times in 60 matches with his most recent goals coming in fixtures against Venezuela and Paraguay.

Most goals in FIFA World Cup qualifiers

Player	Country	Matches	Goals
Carlos Ruiz	Guatemala	47	39
Cristiano Ronaldo	Portugal	45	36
Ali Daeli	Iran	49	34
Robert Lewandowski	Poland	36	39
Luis Suarez	Uruguay	60	28

Author: William Paul

Featured photo: AFP / JOHN THYS

Uruguay (URU) will host Argentina (ARG) in their upcoming CONMEBOL FIFA World Cup 2022 qualifiers match at Estadio Campeón del Siglo in Montevideo, Uruguay on Saturday, November 13. The match will kick off at 4:30 AM IST.

Under head coach Óscar Tabárez, La Celeste head into the fixture under some pressure after suffering consecutive defeats against Brazil (1-4) and Argentina (0-3). 

The Diego Godin-led Uruguay team are currently placed fifth in the CONMEBOL FIFA World Cup 2022 qualifier standings with 16 points from 12 matches. They need to win soon in order to stay in contention for an automatic qualification spot for next year’s FIFA World Cup to be held in Qatar.

Argentina, on the other hand, have been in scintillating form and are currently on a 25-match unbeaten streak under manager Lionel Scaloni. 

However, La Albiceleste are currently fretting over the availability of their captain Lionel Messi, who is nursing a knee injury. Messi missed two games recently for his French club Paris Saint-Germain in Ligue 1 and is racing against time to be fit for the Uruguay game.

URU vs ARG Dream11 Prediction

Apart from Brazil, Argentina are the only other unbeaten side in the ongoing CONMEBOL FIFA World Cup qualifiers 2022, with seven wins and four draws in 11 matches so far. La Albiceleste have also registered two convincing victories against Uruguay in their last two matches.

Furthermore, Argentina have won 89 matches against Uruguay in all competitions while La Celeste have secured 57 victories and 45 games have ended in draws. Going by past record and recent form, Argentina are expected to add three more points to their tally and inch closer to FIFA World Cup 2022 qualification.

URU vs ARG Dream11 team tips for CONMEBOL World Cup 2022 qualifiers

Top tip: Best forward

Since Lionel Messi is still doubtful for the Uruguay game, one must pick star forward Luis Suarez in your fantasy football team. The 34-year-old striker has already scored five goals for Uruguay in the CONMEBOL FIFA World Cup 2022 qualifiers besides bagging seven goals for Atletico Madrid in La Liga. Luis Suarez is expected to trouble the Argentine defence on Saturday.

Top tip: Best midfielder

Rodrigo De Paul played an instrumental role in helping Argentina clinch the Copa America title earlier this year. The Atletico Madrid midfielder has made 13 appearances for La Albiceleste in 2021 and managed to score two important goals for Argentina. De Paul will look to take control of the midfield on Saturday and help his side secure three valuable points.

Top tip: Best defender and goalkeeper

Amongst defenders, picking Argentina centre-back Cristian Romero in your fantasy team is a no-brainer. The young defender has played a pivotal role in helping Argentina concede just six goals in 11 FIFA World Cup 2022 qualifier matches, keeping as many as six clean sheets. He will once again play an important role for Argentina in order to stop the likes of Luis Suarez.

Meanwhile, Argentina custodian Emiliano Martinez pips Fernando Muslera of Uruguay for the goalkeeper spot. Martinez has been one of the standout players for Lionel Scaloni’s Argentina and he has made some stunning saves in recent matches to help his side keep clean sheets. 

URU vs ARG probable playing XI

URU probable XI (4-4-2): Fernando Muslera (goalkeeper); Nahitan Nandez, Sebastian Coates, Diego Godin (captain), Matias Vina; Rodrigo Bentancur, Matias Vecino, Federico Valverde, Nicolas De la Cruz; Luis Suarez, Darwin Nunez

ARG probable XI (4-2-3-1): Emiliano Martinez (goalkeeper); Nahuel Montiel, Cristian Romero, Nicolas Otamendi, Marcus Acuna; Leandro Paredes, Rodrigo De Paul; Angel Di Maria (captain), Paulo Dybala, Giovani Lo Celso; Lautaro Martinez

Featured photo: Juan Mabromata / AFP

The CONMEBOL FIFA World Cup 2022 qualifiers are back in action as 10 teams including Argentina, Brazil and Uruguay are scheduled to play three matches on October 8, 11 and 15.

Table-toppers Brazil will take on Venezuela and Colombia in two tricky away games before hosting Uruguay in their final qualifier match for this month. With 24 points from eight games, Neymar’s Brazil are currently unbeaten in the FIFA World Cup 2022 qualifiers and have a six-point lead over second-placed Argentina.

Lionel Messi-led Argentina have been in great form recently as they defeated Bolivia (3-0) and Venezuela (3-1) in their last two matches. Having secured 18 points from eight games, La Albiceleste will look to secure maximum points against Paraguay away from home before hosting Uruguay and Peru in two crucial matches.

On the other hand, Luis Suarez’s Uruguay have the toughest fixtures as they are scheduled to play Colombia, Argentina and Brazil in back-to-back matches this month. Currently placed third with 15 points from nine fixtures, La Celeste will hope to leapfrog Argentina and move to second in the points table.

For the unversed, four direct slots and one inter-confederation play-off slot are available for CONMEBOL teams for the FIFA World Cup tournament.

Currently, apart from Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay, Ecuador and Colombia complete the top five standings.

CONMEBOL FIFA World Cup qualifiers October schedule, fixtures and live India match times

All timings are in Indian Standard Time (IST)

The South American Football Confederation (CONMEBOL) has made changes to the original schedule for Copa America 2021, with nine-time champions Brazil playing their Group B match against Venezuela in the opening fixture on June 13 (June 14 in India).

Postponed from last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the competition will have 10 teams participating after Australia and Qatar withdrew due to fixture congestion. The competition was originally set to be jointly hosted by Argentina and Colombia, but the CONMEBOL announced that Brazil will now host the entire competition.

Argentina was removed from hosting Copa America 2021 owing to the rising coronavirus cases in the country. Earlier, Colombia had to be axed as a host due to ongoing protests in the nation.

The fixtures were rejigged as well. Hosts Brazil will feature in the opener at the Mane Garrincha Stadium. The Copa America 2021 final will be held at Rio de Janeiro's Maracana Stadium.

The last edition of the tournament was also held in Brazil in 2019.

With the revised structure, the 10-team Copa America will have two groups of five teams each. The first group comprises Argentina, Uruguay, Chile, Paraguay and Bolivia while the second group includes defending champions Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Venezuela. Watch Copa American live in India!

Eight teams will advance to the quarter-finals, which means only one team from each group won't move on to the knockout stages.

Football superstars like Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez are expected to take part in the competition. The squads for the national teams are yet to be announced.

Copa America 2021 schedule, fixtures and live India match times

All times in Indian Standard Time (IST)

GROUP STAGE 

Matchday 1

Monday, June 14: Brazil vs Venezuela - 2:30 AM IST

Monday, June 14: Colombia vs Ecuador - 5:30 AM IST

Matchday 2

Tuesday, June 15: Argentina vs Chile - 2:30 AM IST

Tuesday, June 15: Paraguay vs Bolivia - 5:30 AM IST

Matchday 3

Friday, June 18: Colombia vs Venezuela - 2:30 AM IST

Friday, June 18: Peru vs Brazil - 5:30 AM IST

Matchday 4

Saturday, June 19: Chile vs Bolivia - 2:30 AM IST

Saturday, June 19: Argentina vs Uruguay - 5:30 AM IST

Matchday 5

Monday, June 21: Venezuela vs Ecuador - 2:30 AM IST

Monday, June 21: Colombia vs Peru - 5:30 AM IST

Matchday 6

Tuesday, June 22: Uruguay vs Chile - 2:30 AM IST

Tuesday, June 22: Argentina vs Paraguay - 5:30 AM IST

Matchday 7

Thursday, June 24: Ecuador vs Peru - 2:30 AM IST

Thursday, June 24: Colombia vs Brazil - 5:30 AM IST

Matchday 8

Friday, June 25: Bolivia vs Uruguay - 2:30 AM IST

Friday, June 25: Chile vs Paraguay - 5:30 AM IST

Matchday 9

Monday, June 28: Brazil vs Ecuador - 2:30 AM IST

Monday, June 28: Venezuela vs Peru - 2:30 AM IST

Matchday 10

Tuesday, June 29: Uruguay vs Paraguay - 5:30 AM IST

Tuesday, June 29: Bolivia vs Argentina - 5:30 AM IST

Copa America 2021 knockout stage schedule

Copa America quarter-finals

Matchday 11

Saturday, July 3: 2B vs 3A - 2:30 AM IST

Saturday, July 3: 1B vs 4A - 5:30 AM IST

Matchday 12

Sunday, July 4: 2A vs 3B - 3:30 AM IST

Sunday, July 4: 1A vs 4B - 6:30 AM IST

Copa America semi-finals

Tuesday, July 6: WQF1 vs WQF2 - 4:30 AM IST

Wednesday, July 7: WQF3 vs WQF4 - 6:30 AM IST

Third and fourth place

Matchday 13

Saturday, July 10: LSF2 vs LSF1 - 5:30 AM IST

Copa America final

Saturday, July 11: WSF2 vs WSF1 - 5:30 AM IST

Where to watch Copa America 2021 live in India?

The Copa America will be telecast live on the Sony TEN 2 and the Sony TEN 2 HD TV channels in India. Sony TEN 4 and Sony SIX will broadcast matches in regional languages.

Live streaming of Copa America in India will be available on the SonyLiv platform.