Lionel Messi equals World Cup record last set 64 years ago

Lionel Messi has been a phenomenon at the 2026 World Cup as he leads the race for the golden boot, but before the half-hour mark against Cape Verde, he has equalled another record from the competition.

The 39-year-old netted for the seventh time in the tournament, and in doing so, he has given Argentina the lead in their round of 32 fixture against Cape Verde.

Messi has scored in every fixture so far in this tournament, as he netted in every group game, with one against Jordan, a brace against Austria and a hat trick in their opening victory against Algeria.

There appears to be no stopping the Inter Miami striker despite the fact that he is entering the twilight years of his career, as he aims to help the nation secure their fourth World Cup title and retain their crown.

Should the South American nation retain their crown, they will be only the third team to do so, after Italy did it in 1938 and Brazil in 1962.

This goal means Messi has equalled a World Cup record, last set 64 years ago by Vava for Brazil at the 1962 tournament.

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The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner has now scored in each of his last five knockout round appearances at the World Cup, equalling the longest streak in competition history.

Messi has joined an exclusive list of players to achieve this feat, becoming only the fourth following the exploits of Leonidas for Brazil (1934-38), Gyorgy Sarosi for Hungary (1934-38), and Vava for Brazil (1958-62), according to Opta stats.

As the ball hit the net, Messi also set his own record as he became the first player in World Cup history to score seven or more goals in two different editions of the tournament, following his exploits at both the 2022 tournament and now in this iteration of the competition.

The 39-year-old will be aiming to score for a sixth consecutive game in the next round of the competition should they ultimately progress past Cape Verde to be able to stand alone for scoring in the most consecutive matches at the World Cup.

While his goalscoring feats are something to be admired, his longevity at the top of the sport must be admired, with Messi becoming the first player to make 30 or more appearances at the FIFA World Cup.