Sports

IIE DIGITAL DESK : The support of fans finally bringing a smile to his face, Lionel Messi is set to feature in what is expected to be his last FIFA World Cup. Once again aiming to lead Argentina to the championship, Messi enters the tournament with the possibility of etching his name deeper into football history by breaking as many as five major records.

Messi already holds the record for the most matches played in World Cup history. Across the editions of 2006, 2010, 2014, 2018, and 2022, he has played 26 matches so far. This number is set to increase in the upcoming World Cup, potentially placing him far beyond the reach of any future challengers.

He will also be appearing in his sixth World Cup. Cristiano Ronaldo and Guillermo Ochoa are also set to feature in their sixth editions, making them the only players to have participated in six World Cups so far.

Messi has scored 13 goals in World Cup history. The all-time top scorer is Germany’s Miroslav Klose with 16 goals. With just four more goals, Messi could surpass Klose and become the highest goal scorer in World Cup history. Given Argentina’s group-stage fixtures, there is even a possibility that this record could be achieved early in the tournament.

Messi has scored in the 2006, 2014, 2018, and 2022 World Cups, failing only in the 2010 edition. If he scores again this time, he will become only the second player in history to score in five different World Cups, a feat already achieved by Cristiano Ronaldo.

He has also provided eight assists in World Cup history, sharing the record for the most assists for Argentina with Diego Maradona. One more assist would see him surpass Maradona, and two more would make him the all-time leader in World Cup assists.

Finally, no captain has ever won two FIFA World Cups. If Messi leads Argentina to another title, he would become the only captain in history to win two World Cups. Additionally, if Argentina reaches the final, he would become the first captain to lead his team to three World Cup finals, having previously reached the final in 2014 and 2022, winning one and finishing runner-up in the other.