2026 World Cup: Lionel Messi Shows No Signs of Slowing Down, Setting Two More Historic Records

Lionel Messi continues to rewrite World Cup history in the United States. Taking the field against Cape Verde in the Round of 16, the Argentine superstar reached an unprecedented milestone, becoming the first player to make 30 appearances in World Cup history. FIFA also celebrated this record with a congratulatory message posted on X.

The evening was made even more special by a goal that brought his World Cup total to 20, solidifying his status as the competition’s all-time leading scorer. With this goal, Messi also set another all-time record, becoming the first player to score in eight consecutive World Cup matches.

His journey toward this historic milestone began in extraordinary fashion as early as the group stage. Argentina finished Group J with a perfect record: three wins out of three, against Algeria, Austria, and Jordan—results that confirmed the Albiceleste as one of the top favorites to win the title, alongside France and Mexico, the other two teams to have won all their first-round matches.

What makes this World Cup even more thrilling is the rivalry with Kylian Mbappé. The 27-year-old French captain had finished the group stage with 18 total goals in the tournament’s history, just two goals behind Messi before the match against Cape Verde. With tonight’s goal, La Pulce has once again extended his lead over the Real Madrid phenom to two goals, although age inevitably works in the Frenchman’s favor, as he will still have several World Cups ahead of him to attempt to overtake him.