GOAT’s World Cup History: Messi Stands Alone As Top World Cup Goalscorer

Lionel Messi has some high expectations this summer. The global soccer superstar is trying to lead Argentina to back-to-back FIFA World Cup titles this summer in the 48-team, three-country North American tournament. We’re tracking all his accomplishments and feats with both Argentina and MLS club Inter Miami this season. That includes game-by-game performances as the GOAT looks to have another epic year. Here’s the latest. June 22: Relentlessness Makes Messi The Top World Cup Goalscorer Messi finished this match with a brace and 18 World Cup goals, and he now stands alone as the top goalscorer in FIFA World Cup history. His second score against Austria broke the tie he had with Marta, who posted 17 goals in the women’s World Cup. But now, the GOAT is at the top. This was his 18th World Cup goal and 122nd for Argentina. June 22: Messi Breaks Men’s World Cup Record With needing only one World Cup match to tie the men’s all-time scoring record, Messi breaking it was only a matter of time. And, of course, he delivered for both his team and for history, scoring Argentina’s first goal against Austria in Dallas on Monday, June 22. It was his 17th World Cup goal and 121st for Argentina. With this goal, Messi became just the third player to score in six consecutive World Cup matches, joining Just Fontaine (France) and Jairzinho (Brazil). Messi’s record-breaking goal came against Austria in the 38th minute at Dallas Stadium. Off a powerful quick touch from Facundo Medina, Messi sailed it into the bottom-left corner past Austria keeper Alexander Schlager. Here’s another angle: June 16: Hat Trick For Messi Ties Men’s World Cup Record If there was any doubt about whether Lionel Messi would be motivated entering his sixth FIFA World Cup, it should be put to bed now. The 38-year-old superstar recorded his first-ever hat trick at the tournament — it happened June 16 against Algeria — and tied Miroslav Klose’s all-time record for most goals (16) at a men’s World Cup. Let’s just run down the numbers of Messi’s incredible night: – Messi recorded his first hat trick at a World Cup, and the fifth ever hat trick for Argentina at a World Cup.- Messi became the oldest man ever to record a hat trick in a World Cup match at 38 years, 357 days old; he passed Cristiano Ronaldo who held the record, who scored a hat trick vs. Spain in 2018 at 33 years old. – Messi became the second man to score in five different World Cups, joining Cristiano Ronaldo. – Messi is also the first Argentine player to score in five consecutive World Cup matches, surpassing Hernán Crespo and Guillermo Stábile (four each). – Messi became the third man ever to record 200 international appearances, joining Cristiano Ronaldo (228) and Bader Al-Mutawa (202). June 9: Messi Scores In Win Over Iceland at Auburn It was a bit of a surreal sight as Lionel Messi and Argentina played Iceland in a pre-World Cup friendly on the campus of Auburn University, cruising to a 3-0 win at Jordan-Hare Stadium. Messi came on as a second-half substitute in Tuesday’s win in front of a raucous crowd on The Plains that’s normally accustomed to big games on Saturdays in the fall. The soccer superstar, who is set to appear in his sixth World Cup tournament, scored a penalty in the win for the Albiceleste. It was the second game in a week for the defending World Cup champions at an SEC stadium, having beaten Honduras 2-0 on Saturday at Texas A&M. Argentina heads back to Kansas City to begin its World Cup title defense against Algeria on June 16. The team then travels to Dallas Stadium to play Austria on June 22 and debut squad Jordan on June 27. June 6: Messi Sits Out Pre-World Cup Match vs. Honduras at Texas A&M Messi got to experience one of college football’s biggest stadiums even if he didn’t play in the 2-0 friendly. He sat out Argentina’s friendly match against Honduras on Saturday night as he continues to manage muscle fatigue and a mild strain in his left hamstring ahead of the upcoming World Cup. Messi, who turns 39 in three weeks, was active after warming up with his teammates at Kyle Field on the campus of Texas A&M before the game. He stayed on the bench, though, watching from the sideline as Argentina won 2-0. The GOAT still was able to take in the sights and sounds of Aggieland, which included a jersey exchange with Texas A&M quarterback Marcel Reed. The team has said Messi’s recovery time will depend on “his clinical and functional progress.” Argentina next plays Iceland in Auburn, Alabama, on Tuesday in a final World Cup tune-up before resuming its training in Kansas City. Argentina begins its World Cup title defense against Algeria at Kansas City Stadium on June 16. May 28: Messi Makes Argentina World Cup Roster Argentina officially announced its final 26-man roster for the 2026 FIFA World Cup on Thursday, and despite the recent injury scare, Lionel Messi headlines the squad. The 38-year-old superstar looks to lead the Albiceleste in a title defense and secure back-to-back World Cup trophies. With his roster spot secured, Messi will lead Argentina in a pair of pre-tournament friendlies against Honduras on June 6 and Iceland on June 9. These matches will serve as the final ramp-up before the real action begins in Group J, where the defending champions are scheduled to open their World Cup campaign against Algeria in Kansas City on June 16, followed by Austria on June 22 and Jordan on June 27 in Arlington, Texas. May 25: Inter Miami Confirms Messi Dealing With ‘Muscle Fatigue’ Inter Miami confirmed Monday that Lionel Messi has a left hamstring issue, one that has popped up about a week before defending World Cup champion Argentina is set to begin its training camp for this summer’s title defense. And the events of Sunday and Monday surely add at least a bit of intrigue to Argentina’s plans. Messi is set to be available for Argentina ahead of the upcoming World Cup, per Fabrizio Romano. Messi underwent testing on Monday — which almost certainly means an MRI exam, though the team did not divulge what procedures were involved — and was ultimately diagnosed with “an overload associated with muscle fatigue in his left hamstring’ that kept him from finishing Inter Miami’s match on Sunday night. ‘The timeline for his return to physical activity will depend on his clinical and functional progress,’ Inter Miami said in a release. The Associated Press contributed to this report. May 24: Messi Comes Off Early In Miami Win; World Cup Concern? Lionel Messi headed into the World Cup break a bit earlier than planned, and now it’ll be Argentina waiting to see if there’s an injury to worry about. Messi — who almost never gets subbed out of matches — left in the 73rd minute, meaning he was long gone before Luis Suarez’s third goal of the night lifted the defending MLS champions past the last-place Philadelphia Union 6-4 on Sunday night. Messi had two assists and German Berterame scored twice during a record-setting first half for Inter Miami. But Messi basically took himself out of play in the 71st minute and reached toward his left hamstring at least once, then didn’t even venture toward the Inter Miami bench when he could be subbed out. Rodrigo De Paul, on his birthday, scored in stoppage time to seal the win for Inter Miami. Milan Iloski had a first-half hat trick — including two penalty kicks — and Bruno Damiani also scored for Union. Argentina is in Group J for the World Cup. Its group stage matches: Algeria, at Kansas City, on June 16; Austria, at Arlington, Texas, on June 22; and Jordan, back in Arlington, on June 27. May 17: Messi Scores, Assists To Lift Inter Miami Over Portland Messi’s first goal of the evening came just after the half-hour mark, with a build-up he started, no less. It began with Messi finding Luis Suárez, who dished the ball over to Telasco Segovia, who teed it up for Messi’s finish. Just over 10 minutes following the opening goal, Messi and Co. were back at it again. Rodrigo De Paul sent a cross towards Messi, who once again found Suarez, who tapped it right back as Messi split between two Portland defenders before dishing an assist to Germán Berterame. Inter Miami secured three points at home and remains in second place in the Eastern Conference with 28 points, two points behind leaders Nashville. May 13: Messi Completes Hat Trick, Assists In Thriller Against Cincinnati Messi led the way for Inter Miami in a back-and-forth battle against FC Cincinnati. His first goal game in the 24th minute, one of the easiest goals of Messi’s career came after the ball deflected off Cincinnati’s Matt Miazga and right in front of Messi, who did the rest. Cincinnati would go on to score the next two goals of the match before Messi added his second of the night in the 55th minute to level the score at 2-2. Evander would put Cincinnati back ahead before goals from Inter Miami’s Mateo Silvetti and German Berterame put the Herons back ahead 4-3, with Messi assisting Silvetti’s effort. Messi would put the game on ice with his third goal and Inter Miami’s fifth of the night just before stoppage time. Inter Miami is second in the Eastern Conference with 25 points, trailing Nashville by two points. May 9: Messi Scores, Becomes Fastest MLS Player to 100 Goal Contributions Messi and Inter Miami are back in the win column, defeating Toronto FC 4-2. On top of the win, Messi reached a major MLS milestone with his one goal and two assists – he becomes the fastest MLS player to reach 100 goal contributions in the regular season. Messi’s effort gives him 59 goals and 41 assists in 64 regular-season matches, shattering the previous record of 95 set by Toronto’s Sebastian Giovinco. Messi has piled up 87 goals and 57 assists in 101 career appearances in all competitions. De Paul set up Messi for his ninth goal — one off the league lead — in the 75th minute to make it 4-0. De Paul has three assists after collecting his first four in 11 appearances last season. Inter Miami now moved to 0-1-3 and still seek a win on their new turf since its opening in April. May 2: Messi Scores, But Inter Miami Blows 3-0 Lead Lionel Messi and Inter Miami had a 3-0 lead over rival Orlando City, looking poised to finally get what would be a historic first win inside the team’s new stadium. History was indeed made — by Orlando City, that is. Martin Ojeda scored three goals, Tyrese Spicer had the go-ahead goal in the third minute of stoppage time and Orlando City stunned Inter Miami 4-3 on Saturday night — becoming just the third team in MLS history to rally from a 3-0 deficit and get a victory. Messi had a goal and two assists in his 100th appearance for the club, and somehow that wasn’t enough against a team that came into the night near the bottom of the MLS standings. Inter Miami fell to 0-1-3 at its new stadium, and the defending champions are one of only three teams in MLS winless at home so far this season. April 25: Messi, Inter Miami Still Searching for 1st win at new stadium Lionel Messi and Inter Miami are still waiting for their first win in their new home. Germán Berterame scored off a rebound in the 76th minute and Inter Miami finished in a 1-1 tie with the New England Revolution on Saturday night, keeping the defending MLS Cup champions winless in three matches at their new Miami stadium. The Herons are 0-0-3 in the new building — compared with 5-1-1 in MLS road matches this season. Inter Miami is now unbeaten (5-0-4) in its last nine MLS matches following a season-opening loss at LAFC, and unbeaten in its last 11 matches (5-0-6) across all competitions. Former MLS MVP Carles Gil scored in the 56th minute for New England, which had lost each of its last four meetings with Inter Miami. April 22: Messi held scoreless in win over Real Salt Lake After netting a brace against the Colorado Rapids last week, Messi couldn’t find the back of the net, but his friends managed to keep Miami near the top of MLS’ Eastern Conference. Messi made an attempt at goal in the first half, when his one-on-one opportunity against RSL keeper Rafael Cabral was saved. Messi had one last chance to score in the 89th minute, but his free kick was also saved by Cabral. Rodrigo De Paul and Luis Suárez scored within a minute of each other late in the second half to secure the victory for Inter Miami. April 18: Lionel Messi scores twice in win against Colorado Rapids Messi had two goals in Inter Miami’s 3-2 win over the Rapids on Saturday to extend the team’s unbeaten streak to seven games. Messi, who opened the scoring when he converted a penalty kick in the 13th minute, scored the go-ahead goal in the 79th minute. After a Colorado turnover near midfield, Messi cut back near the right corner of the penalty box and flicked a rising shot that split a pair of defenders and slipped inside the back post. Messi has seven goals this season, tied with Sam Surridge and Petar Musa for the most in MLS. Miami (4-1-3) hasn’t lost since a season-opening 3-0 defeat to Los Angeles FC. April 11: Messi held scoreless in win against New York Red Bulls In the second match played at Inter Miami’s new stadium, Nu Stadium, the defending MLS Cup champions settled for their second draw in a row, this time against the Red Bulls, on Saturday night. In the 55th minute, Messi drew four defenders toward him and helped set up Germán Berterame for a second-half goal that gave Inter Miami its first lead. Messi had a couple golden chances, too. He had a stellar run but then slipped on his attempt as his shot was deflected out of bounds. In the 94th minute, Messi almost found the back of the net, but his free kick was ultimately deflected by New York goalkeeper Ethan Horvath. April 5: ‘Nu’ Era underway as Messi nets goal in Inter Miami’s new stadium Messi scored on the long-awaited opening night in his new home stadium, and Luis Suárez found a way to tie things up late in the second half. Messi scored on a header in the 10th minute, Suarez hammered home a volley in the 82nd minute and Inter Miami escaped with a 2-2 tie against Austin FC in the defending MLS champions’ first match at their still-under-construction stadium near Miami International Airport on Saturday night. Named “Nu Stadium”, the venue already has a stand named for Messi — a rare honor for an active player to already have a section of the stadium dedicated to him. MLS Commissioner Don Garber was at the match, lauding the work that David Beckham, who picked Miami 13 years ago, did to get to this day. Inter Miami, which is in its seventh MLS season and third with Messi, has played home matches in Fort Lauderdale until now. Beckham had another legend in attendance with him as Brazil great Ronaldo joined the festivities. Garber touted the stadium opening as the latest sign of growth for MLS. “I think our best days are still ahead,” he said. “David shined a light on our league, and Leo’s taking that torch, and he’s showing it around. And we’re getting calls from players around the world.” March 31: Messi scores in perhaps last Argentina home match? It didn’t take long for Messi to get on the scoresheet in Argentina’s 5-0 victory over Zambia at the historic Bombonera in Buenos Aires. Messi assisted Atlético Madrid’s Julián Álvarez with an early strike in the fourth minute in what could be the GOAT’s final home match for his home country. He wasn’t done yet, as Messi would double La Albiceleste’s lead himself before the break. Messi had an opportunity to complete a hat-trick when Argentina was awarded a penalty early in the second half. Instead of stepping up and taking the penalty himself, he handed the ball to veteran defender Nicolas Otamendi, allowing him a scoring opportunity in his final home game. Otamendi announced that he will retire the national team following the summer’s World Cup. March 27: Messi comes on in second half, held scoreless vs. Mauritania Messi was back in action with Argentina for the FIFA international break. It was the final time the team would play together before the 2026 FIFA World Cup begins later in the summer. Of course, reigning champions Messi and Argentina are expected to be among the heavy favorites to win it all. Before that happens, a couple of friendlies in Buenos Aires against two teams from Africa. Messi started on the bench during Argentina’s 2-1 victory over Mauritania and didn’t manage to score in the final 45 minutes. Argentina’s goals came from Enzo Fernandez and Nicolas Paz, but Messi was the one receiving endless cheers from fans in one of the nation’s most historic venues, La Bombonera. March 22: Messi scores key goal in win against NYCFC Inter Miami took home the win against NYCFC on Sunday, with Messi scoring the equalizer. At the 61-minute mark, Messi received a free kick, after what most fans believed was a “soft call.” He successfully converted in this opportunity, tying the game and putting the Herons back in contention for a win that night. The first goal of the night came from Gonzalo Lujan, with this also being his first career goal. The game was then iced in the 74th minute by Micael after a set-up by Messi’s corner kick. March 18: 900 career goals, but eliminated from CONCACAF Champions Cup What a milestone for the superstar, who has now reached the 900-goal mark in his illustrious club career that has spanned Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain and Inter Miami, as well as his international duty with Argentina. Messi scored the goal in Wednesday’s Champions Cup match against Nashville SC, taking a pass in the middle of the box in the seventh minute, controlled the ball, spun and lined a low shot through a maze of defenders and into the far corner of the net. Despite the historic goal, Nashville tied Inter Miami 1-1, advancing to the tournament quarterfinals on an away-goal tiebreaker. The teams played to a 0-0 tie in Nashville last week in the opening leg of the Round of 16. Messi is second on the all-time goal scoring list behind Cristiano Ronaldo (965), with those two the only ones who are in that stratosphere. Officially, the duo are followed by Romário (765), Pelé (762) and Ference Puskás (725). The next-highest active player is Barcelona’s Robert Lewandowski (690). There’s some controversy about Pelé’s count. Different sources, counting different sets of games, list the Brazilian icon’s goal totals anywhere from around 650 in league matches to somewhere near 1,300 in all matches — some against low-level competition. March 14: Messi sits out Inter Miami draw vs. Nashville SC Messi was rested for this game, as coach Javier Mascherano chose to save his energy for the second CONCACAF Champions Cup leg against Nashville SC. In his place, Uruguayan striker Luis Suárez received his first start of the MLS season. Though Saturday ended in a scoreless draw, the game itself stayed spirited. In a heated exchange, Mascherano received a red card in stoppage time. As he protested the booking, he was sent off for foul and offensive language. Ever a lively personality, he sarcastically clapped at the crowd. March 11: Messi stuck at 899 goals after another draw Inter Miami and Messi faced off against Nashville SC in the Herons’ first game of the CONCACAF Champions Cup of the season. The Round of 16 ended in a scoreless draw, with Messi staying silent on the statsheet.  He attempted one shot in the 55th minute, but 24-year-old Nashville goalkeeper Brian Schwake came up with the save. March 7: Messi scores in win over D.C. United after White House visit Messi scored in the 27th minute, and Inter Miami held on for a 2-1 victory over D.C. United on Saturday night in front of 72,026 at the home of the NFL’s Baltimore Ravens. The game was held in downtown Baltimore instead of at D.C. United’s smaller venue in Washington. It’s the second game this season where Inter Miami’s opponents held the match at a larger stadium. LAFC did so in February by changing the game to the L.A. Memorial Coliseum. It was an eventful week for Messi and his team, which visited the White House on Thursday. Inter Miami opened the scoring in the 17th minute when De Paul collected the ball about 15 yards from the goal and struck a shot into the far side of the net. Messi then scored his third goal of the young MLS season, slipping behind the D.C. defense to receive Mateo Silvetti’s pass, then flicking the ball with one touch past goalie Sean Johnson. March 1: Messi scores twice in comeback win over rival Orlando City Nothing like scoring twice against your in-state rivals. Especially after being initially down by two. Messi had two second-half goals and an assist in Inter Miami’s 4-2 win over Orlando City. It was his first two goals of the 2026 MLS season and the Herons’ first win. It was part of a four-goal rally by Inter Miami in the second half, which also included goals by Mateo Silvetti and Telasco Segovia (who also had two assists). Marco Pasalic and Martín Ojedahad initially gave the Lions the lead before Messi and Miami came out with a full head of steam after halftime. Messi’s second was a particular beauty as it came off a free kick in the final moments of the game in Orlando. Messi, ever the master at gamesmanship, decided to troll the Orlando faithful by mockingly giving them an autograph. Feb. 26: Messi knocked over by pitch invader in Puerto Rico A curiously timed match between Inter Miami and Ecuadorian club Independiente Del Valle at Puerto Rico’s Estadio Juan Ramón Loubriel saw Messi convert a penalty and later tackled by an overzealous pitch invader. The game in Bayamón was supposed to be played in Inter Miami’s preseason on Feb. 13 but was moved back due to Messi’s hamstring injury. Inter Miami honored the rescheduled match after having already played its MLS season opener. Messi entered at halftime and was cheered loudly anytime he touched the ball. His penalty came in the 70th minute, which sealed the 2-1 victory in the unofficial match. As the game came to a wrap, a pitch invader got tangled up with Messi and a security guard, taking the superstar to the ground. He appeared to be fine as he got up and walked away. Feb. 21: Messi held scoreless in MLS opener Inter Miami began its season with a 3-0 loss at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum against Son Heung-min and LAFC in front of an announced crowd of 75,672 — the second-highest game attendance in MLS history and highest for a season-opening game ever. After the game, a video posted on social media showed Messi following the referees through the tunnel and into a locker room. A visibly angry Messi appeared to be held back by teammate Luis Suárez with the two then exiting the area. The league said that Messi did not violate any policy and that he would not face any suspension. The Associated Press contributed to this report.