Argentina captain Lionel Messi joined Cristiano Ronaldo in becoming the only players to have scored in five editions of the FIFA World Cup. The 38-year-old marked his 200th international appearance with an incredible goal from distance.
La Albiceleste are in action against Algeria in their opening game of the 2026 FIFA World Cup at the Kansas City Stadium. The reigning world champions got off to a flying start, with Lionel Messi scoring inside the opening minutes of the game. However, that goal was quickly disallowed for offside.
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Algeria shook Argentina by finding the back of the net at the other end, but even that attempt was cancelled for offside by the officials. Later, in the 17th minute, Lionel Messi received the ball inside the final third and made a quick turn before running towards the Algeria goal and unleashing an attempt from distance.
Luca Zidane managed to get a hand on the shot, but the strike was powerful enough to make its way into the top corner. The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner wheeled away in celebration alongside his teammates. It was the Argentine’s 118th goal for his country.
Lionel Messi has now scored 14 goals in FIFA World Cup history, with only Ronaldo Nazario (15) and Miroslav Klose (16) scoring more than him. At the time of writing, Argentina have a 1-0 lead over Algeria in the ongoing Group J encounter.
Cristiano Ronaldo could move ahead of Lionel Messi by setting new record at 2026 FIFA World Cup
Even though Messi has now matched Cristiano Ronaldo by scoring in five different World Cups, the Portugal captain could move further ahead in this tournament. If the Al-Nassr star manages to score at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, he will become the only player to have scored in six editions of the competition.
Portugal face DR Congo in their opening game of the 2026 World Cup on June 17. It offers Cristiano Ronaldo a great opportunity to set a new historic achievement. Should the 41-year-old achieve the same, it will be highly unlikely for Messi to match it considering he will have to keep playing for his country until 2030.
If Argentina and Portugal win their groups and progress through the first two knockout rounds, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo will meet in the quarter-finals of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. If that happens, the game will almost definitely become the most-watched sports event of all time.
Edited by Nived Zenith