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Havana, June 22 (RHC) – After winning the title in Qatar 2022, it seemed that the mission of the Argentine Lionel Messi on this planet had been accomplished. Still, today he added another milestone by becoming the all-time top scorer in World Cups.
The magnitude of the feat didn’t warrant a penalty, and the football gods intervened, sending Messi’s spot kick against Austria on Monday wide.
However, in the 39th minute, he scored in his preferred style, from outside the box, at the modern Dallas Cowboys stadium.
That goal also made him the all-time leading scorer from long range in World Cup history, as he started the match tied with Brazilian Roberto Rivelino, who was the only player to have scored five times in that manner, and the Argentine reached six.
Messi scored a hat trick against Algeria in his opening match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup in Mexico, the United States, and Canada, equaling Germany’s record of 16 World Cup victories.
The multiple Ballon d’Or winner had previously scored four goals in Brazil 2014, seven in Qatar 2022, and one each in Germany 2006 and Russia 2014.
But the story of the Rosario genius doesn’t end there. He could become the player with the most wins in World Cup matches, a record currently held by Klose with 16 victories. If he wins today against Austria, Argentina will take the title and continue to add to his tally.
