Breaking Records
It's another goal and another all-time record for Lionel Messi. Messi scored his 20th career FIFA World Cup goal in Argentina's round of 16 match against Cape Verde on Friday at Miami Stadium, extending his own record for the most by any man or woman in FIFA World Cup history and bringing his tournament-leading tally up to seven goals.
Golden Boot Leadership
Messi is the first player to score seven or more goals in multiple editions of the World Cups. He scored seven goals at the 2022 FIFA World Cup, but finished one behind Kylian Mbappé for the Golden Boot. Messi currently leads the Golden Boot race, one ahead of Mbappé.
Consecutive Matches with a Goal
It also marked his eighth consecutive World Cup match with a goal, the longest streak in the tournament's history, and his fifth consecutive knockout stage match with a goal, something no player has accomplished since World Cup records started being tracked in the 1960s. He has 12 goals in his eight-game scoring streak at the World Cup.
Opponent Record
Cape Verde is the 14th opponent Messi has scored against, extending his record for the most opponents scored against by a single player in World Cup history. Jürgen Klinsmann, Ronaldo Nazário, and Miroslav Klose are the next closest players, having each scored against 10 different opponents in World Cup history.
Upcoming Match
If Argentina advances past Cape Verde in the round of 32, it will play Egypt in the round of 16 on Tuesday, July 7 at Atlanta Stadium.
