Every World Cup record at stake for Lionel Messi and Argentina this summer

Not so long ago, the criticism thrown at Lionel Messi was that he had never won anything at international level. Now, Argentina has won back-to-back Copa Américas as well as the biggest trophy of all — defeating France on penalties to claim a third World Cup in Qatar in 2022.

Lionel Messi was named Player of the Tournament, having scored seven goals and registered three assists. Now 38 years old, he remains absolutely key to la Albiceleste's hopes this summer. Only two nations have ever retained the World Cup. Italy did so on home soil in 1938, while Brazil is the most-recent team to achieve this, but this was all the way back in 1962. Thus, history is very much against Lionel Scaloni's side. On a personal level though, there are plenty of World Cup records that Messi is chasing down in what his surely his final World Cup. How many will he reach?

Most World Cup appearances

By featuring in the final in Qatar, Messi became the man with the most World Cup appearances in history on 26. However, considering that Cristiano Ronaldo is just four behind, were Argentina to have a nightmare campaign and Portugal go deep, the two of them could end up level on appearances, even if this is unlikely.

Most World Cup goals

This is a record that Messi currently does not hold although, in a few weeks time, he might. To date, the Argentine has scored 13 World Cup goals, needing just three more to match Miroslav Klose's all-time record. However, he has to be wary of a certain former Paris Saint-Germain teammate Kylian Mbappé who, after only two World Cup campaigns, is already just one behind.

Most World Cup Final appearances

While many squad members are still around from their 2022 triumph, Messi is the only Argentina player remaining who featured in their 2014 final defeat against Germany at the Maracanã. So, were la Albiceleste to get to MetLife Stadium on July 19, he could join a very select group of players to play in three World Cup Finals.

To date, Brazil right-back Cafu is the only man to play in a trio of World Cup Finals, doing so in '94, '98 and 2002. Fellow Brazilians Pelé and Ronaldo as well as Germans Lothar Matthäus and Pierre Littbarski were part of squads that got to three finals, but were unused substitutes in one of them.

Were France to reach this year's final, Mbappé would also join this list, but he is surprisingly the only les Bleus player who could do so.

Most World Cup penalties (excluding shootouts)

To date, not including shootouts, five men have scored four penalties at World Cups. Bizarrely, all four of Messi's came during the victorious campaign in Qatar, converting from 12 yards against Saudi Arabia, Netherlands, Croatia and France. So, one more would make him the out-right leader, albeit Harry Kane is also on four, so this could be a tight race between the pair.

Most World Cup editions appeared at

Before this summer, no man had ever appeared at six editions of the World Cup, a seemingly impossible achievement, but that will change. Mexican trio Antonio Carbajal, Rafael Márquez and Andrés Guardado as well as German duo Matthäus and now Manuel Neuer have all appeared at five World Cups. Luka Modrić will join this list when Croatia face England on Wednesday.

However, two men will feature at a sixth edition, and it is the two you might expect. Both Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo debuted at the World Cup two decades ago, appearing at every tournament since, so both will feature at a record-breaking sixth this summer. Messi will be the first to do so when Argentina take on Algeria in Kansas City on Tuesday night, before Ronaldo will match him 16 hours later as Portugal meet DR Congo. So, how many of these records will Messi claim as his own?

More World Cup news and analysis:

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow