Lionel Messi’s latest World Cup record carries the weight of a career that has repeatedly changed direction. At 38, in his sixth tournament, he moved past Miroslav Klose and Marta to become the leading scorer in World Cup finals history across the men’s and women’s competitions. The milestone also extends his scoring run to six consecutive World Cup matches, following the campaign that brought Argentina its third title.
The record came after a missed opportunity. Messi had a chance to take the mark from the penalty spot in the ninth minute, but sent his shot wide. Later, he helped start an Argentina attack, drifted away from his markers, then arrived near the edge of the box to finish with his left foot into the bottom corner. The sequence was a fitting account of his influence: he can shape a move before stepping into the space that decides it.
That composure has taken time to develop. Messi’s senior debut for Argentina, in August 2005 against Hungary, lasted only a few minutes before he was sent off. He was 18. Nearly 21 years later, he was still carrying a central role for the national side, with another record within reach.
A record that began in Germany
Messi’s first World Cup appearance came in Gelsenkirchen in 2006, when he came off the bench during Argentina’s 6-0 win over Serbia and Montenegro. He scored that day, becoming Argentina’s youngest World Cup goalscorer at the time. Hernán Crespo and Carlos Tevez combined before Crespo found Messi, who surged past a defender and put the ball in the net.
His next tournament, in South Africa in 2010, offered a different kind of contribution. Argentina, coached by Diego Maradona, were hoping to win their first World Cup since 1986, but Messi didn’t score. He did, however, create for his teammates: in the round of 16 against Mexico, he dropped deeper and set up Tevez in a 3-1 victory. He also captained Argentina for the first time at a World Cup, in a 2-0 group-stage win over Greece.
Brazil in 2014 brought a sharper return in front of goal. Messi scored against Bosnia and Herzegovina, then struck late to beat Iran 1-0. He added two goals in Argentina’s 3-2 win over Nigeria, helping his side reach the knockout rounds. He didn’t score in those games, but his assist against Switzerland helped Argentina advance to its first World Cup final since 1990. Germany won that final in extra time.
From a qualification rescue to an early exit
The path to Russia in 2018 came close to collapse. Argentina needed a win away to Ecuador, in Quito, on the final day of qualifying. When Romario Ibarra scored for the hosts, Argentina’s place at the tournament was in jeopardy. Messi answered with a hat-trick, turning a precarious night into a qualification-clinching performance.
The tournament itself was less forgiving. Argentina drew with Iceland, lost 3-0 to Croatia and needed a narrow victory over Nigeria to reach the round of 16. Against France, Messi contributed two assists in a high-scoring match, but Argentina lost 4-3 and went out. It looked like another frustrating end to a major tournament for a team that had struggled to find stability.
Instead, that exit preceded a sustained revival. In 2021, Argentina won the Copa América at the Maracanã, ending a 28-year wait for a major international trophy. The victory over Brazil gave Messi his first major title with the senior national team and marked a turning point for the squad. Argentina’s qualification campaign for the 2022 World Cup was far smoother than its fight to reach Russia.
Argentina’s 2022 title run
Argentina’s tournament in Qatar began with a shock: a 2-1 defeat to Saudi Arabia, despite Messi opening the scoring from the penalty spot. The team recovered against Mexico, where Messi scored and assisted, then beat Poland 2-0 to advance from Group C.
Messi scored the opening goal in a 2-1 round-of-16 win over Australia. In the quarter-final against the Netherlands, he added a goal and an assist as Argentina built a 2-0 lead. The Dutch came back to force a penalty shootout, but Argentina prevailed 4-3 from the spot.
A 3-0 semi-final win over Croatia sent Argentina to its first final since 2014, with Messi again contributing a goal and an assist. The final against France became one of the tournament’s defining matches. Messi scored from the penalty spot and Ángel Di María made it 2-0 before France rallied to level the game. Messi then scored again in extra time after linking up in attack, only for France to equalize once more. Argentina eventually won the shootout, making Messi a world champion.
That title has reshaped the way his World Cup career is read. Earlier tournaments had brought individual highlights, playmaking and near misses; Qatar brought the result that had eluded him. His record-breaking goal now adds another chapter to that arc. The milestone is also part of an ongoing campaign in which Messi has scored five of Argentina’s five goals so far, according to the source account, and remains at the center of the team’s attack.
The final chapter remains open
Messi’s position at the top of the World Cup scoring charts links a long list of different roles: teenage substitute, creator, captain, tournament leader and champion. His record surpasses Klose’s mark and Marta’s World Cup total, making him the outright leading scorer across the men’s and women’s finals. The World Cup has followed him from his first goal in 2006 through Argentina’s title in 2022 and into a sixth appearance.
He has started this tournament in strong form, with five goals as Argentina’s entire team total stands at five. The numbers capture the immediate impact; the wider story is how long he has remained decisive for his country. Whether this is his final World Cup is still uncertain. What’s clear is that Messi has reached the record by shaping the match around him, a pattern that has defined his international career from the beginning.