CUIABA (Brazil) • With his inauspicious Argentina debut nothing but a distant memory, Lionel Messi became his country's most capped player on Monday in their 4-1 Copa America Group A victory over Bolivia.

A perennial candidate in the "greatest of all time" debate, the 34-year-old marked the occasion in style with a virtuoso performance.

The Argentina captain scored twice and set up another in his 148th national team appearance, surpassing Javier Mascherano's record.

It was all a far cry from his debut in 2005 when the then 18-year-old, coming on as a second-half substitute in a friendly against Hungary in Budapest, was sent off for swinging an arm in an opponent's face after just 43 seconds.

Argentina's record scorer notched his 74th and 75th international goals, helping to extend his side's unbeaten run to 17 games on Monday and booking a quarter-final berth against Ecuador in Goiania on Saturday.

La Albiceleste have not won a major football title since sealing the Copa in 1993 and Messi, who has won every honour available to him at Barcelona, is desperate for some success in a blue and white shirt.

"I've been lucky enough to win everything at club level and individual level and it would be lovely also to win something with the national side," he said on the eve of this year's Copa. "That's my dream."

Barca were among those to send their congratulations for his record-breaking achievement, saying: "A true legend, Leo! Congratulations."

Messi has appeared in three Copa finals, as well as the 2014 World Cup final, all of which Argentina lost.

However, they have momentum going into the last eight this weekend and are undefeated since 2019.

"We're in good form going into the quarter-finals," said Tottenham midfielder Giovani lo Celso, who came on in the second half.

"The team knows how it is playing and what it wants to do. We're getting better and now comes the most beautiful part."

In the other Group A game, an Edinson Cavani penalty sealed a 1-0 win for Uruguay against Paraguay, setting up a quarter-final tie against Colombia on Saturday.

REUTERS