Lionel Messi has once again rewritten FIFA World Cup history, surpassing Kylian Mbappe and Pele to set a new record. The Argentina captain netted the first goal against tournament debutants Cabo Verde to set the record in the ongoing round of 32 clash in Miami (July 3, ET).
The strike gave him 12 goal contributions in World Cup knockout rounds, the most in the history of the competition. That number puts the 39-year-old ahead of both Kylian Mbappe and Pele, who had previously been tied for the top spot on 11 each.
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He scored in the 29th minute to break a tense stalemate that had frustrated the reigning champions early on. The goal itself was a signature of his genius: Lisandro Martinez’s inviting pass over the top sent Messi gliding past the Cabo Verde defense with a perfect run. He controlled the ball beautifully in his stride before lifting a composed effort over Vozinha to put Argentina 1-0 up.
The strike also took his run to eight consecutive FIFA World Cup matches on the scoresheet, a streak which has not been equaled by anyone. And on top of that, Lionel Messi has now scored against 14 different teams. It is the most by any player, surpassing the likes of Miroslav Klose, Ronaldo Nazario, and Jurgen Klinsmann, all of whom have 10.
Lionel Messi at the FIFA World Cup so Far
Lionel Messi arrived at a record sixth FIFA World Cup with question marks over his fitness after nursing a minor hamstring issue in the build-up. But any lingering doubts were quickly dispelled in Argentina’s Group J opener against Algeria in Kansas City.
His terrific hat-trick in the 3-0 triumph pulled him level with Miroslav Klose as the tournament’s all-time leading goalscorer. He didn’t wait long before making that record his own in the next match, against Austria. He scored twice to surpass Klose’s tally and increase his overall total. His influence went beyond the goals and ensured his team dominated the group stage with maximum points.
Lionel Messi rounded off the group stage against Jordan, coming off the bench to curl in a trademark free-kick. That gave him six goals in the group stage, level with Mbappe at the top of the scoring charts going into the knockout rounds. His goal against Cabo Verde was his 20th goal at the FIFA World Cup.
If Argentina can survive this tie, they’ll meet Egypt in the round of 16 in Atlanta on July 7. For a country dreaming of back-to-back trophies, their talisman appears far from finished.
Edited by Nived Zenith
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