MIAMI, July 4: Lionel Messi continued to rewrite football history on Friday, extending multiple FIFA World Cup records as Argentina booked their place in the Round of 16 with a hard-fought 3-2 extra-time victory over Cape Verde.
The 39-year-old captain opened the scoring in the 29th minute to register his 20th FIFA World Cup goal, further extending his all-time record and moving two clear of France’s Kylian Mbappe on the tournament’s all-time scoring chart.
The goal also saw Messi become the first player to score in eight consecutive World Cup matches, a remarkable streak dating back to Argentina’s triumphant 2022 World Cup campaign. During that run, he has netted 12 goals, underlining his continued influence on the biggest stage in international football.Messi’s latest strike also took his tally in the ongoing 2026 World Cup to seven goals, putting him one ahead of Mbappe in the race for the Golden Boot awarded to the tournament’s leading scorer.
The Argentine superstar reached the milestone after expertly controlling a pass from Lisandro Martinez before calmly lifting the ball over Cape Verde goalkeeper Vozinha to give the defending champions an early lead.The goal was also the 124th of Messi’s international career, leaving him second on the all-time men’s international scoring list behind Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo, who has 146 goals.
Despite sustaining a blow to the head during the match, Messi completed the game and later confirmed he was feeling fine.Having finished runner-up in the Golden Boot race at the 2022 World Cup, Messi is now the leading contender for the award with the knockout stages still to come as Argentina continue their title defence.With Argentina progressing to the Round of 16, Messi remains firmly on course for another World Cup triumph while continuing to add to a record-breaking legacy. (AP)
