He also reached the milestone of 200 appearances in Argentina’s match against Algeria.
A stunning goal that gave the Albiceleste the lead made Messi only the second player in history to score in 5 different World Cups, joining Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo. He scored 3 goals for the reigning World Cup champions, equaling the all-time World Cup goalscoring record of Germany’s Miroslav Klose (16 goals). The achievement put him ahead of other legends who have participated in 5 World Cups, including Cristiano Ronaldo, Lothar Matthäus, Rafael Márquez, and Antonio Carbajal.
Since making his World Cup debut in 2006, Messi has represented Argentina at every tournament since (2010, 2014, 2018, 2022, and 2026). In a career spanning two decades, he has scored 117 goals and provided 61 assists, statistics that underline his status as one of the greatest players in football history.
Messi is Argentina's all-time leading scorer and the only player to have provided assists in 5 different World Cups.
