Lionel Messi was not expected to make this many headlines at the ongoing World Cup.
There were injury fears just days before the tournament, and there was uncertainty about whether he would feature in their World Cup opener against Algeria.
Not only did Messi play, but he also scored a hat-trick, then added a brace against Austria. His 80th-minute strike against Jordan took his tally to six goals.
Now, after scoring again against a resilient Cape Verde side, Messi leads the scoring chart with seven goals, bringing his World Cup total to 20.
The eight-time Ballon d’or winner has set more records, as it has become tradition:
First player to score against 14 different teams at World Cup
This time it was his 14th goal against a different country. Never before had a player scored against so many different opponents at a World Cup. The list is long.
- Montenegro
- Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Iran
- Nigeria
- Saudi Arabia
- Mexico
- Australia
- Netherlands
- Croatia
- France
- Algeria
- Austria
- Jordan
- Cape Verde
First Player to Score in 8 Straight World Cup Games
The other record Messi set was more remarkable. Messi became the first player to score in eight straight World Cup games, per Marca. Going further back, Messi has scored in all but one World Cup game across the last two tournaments. The last time he played a World Cup match without scoring was against France in the Round of 16 at the 2018 FIFA World Cup.
✅ First player in history to reach 20 World Cup goals.
✅ First player in history to score in 8 consecutive World Cup matches.
✅ First player in history to score against 14 different national teams at the World Cup.
✅ First player in history to reach 9 World Cup assists
— Football Tweet ⚽ (@Footballtweet) July 4, 2026
