Lionel Messi made history once again when he became the first footballer to score seven goals in two different editions of the FIFA World Cup. (AP photo)
Just when you think Lionel Messi has conquered everything mountain football has to offer, the Argentine maestro invents a new peak. By scoring a crucial 29th-minute goal against Cape Verde on Saturday, Messi not only ignited Argentina’s path to the Round of 16, but rewrote the fabric of international football history, becoming the first player ever to score seven goals in two different FIFA World Cups.The mesmerizing striker, who scored seven goals during Argentina’s fantasy tournament in Qatar 2022, replicated that pinpoint scoring power in the 2026 edition. His dazzling finish under the Miami lights took his current tally in the tournament to seven, moving him one point clear of France’s Kylian Mbappé in a fierce race for the Golden Boot, and extending his record-breaking World Cup run to 20 goals.
No other footballer in the history of the beautiful game – not Pele, Diego Maradona or other modern-day icons – has achieved such astonishing consistency of goalscoring across multiple World Cups. While most players consider scoring seven goals in a single World Cup tournament a lifetime achievement, Messi has turned the extraordinary into a routine expectation.His performance on Saturday also extended his record World Cup scoring streak to eight consecutive matches, demonstrating an unparalleled longevity that completely defies his age.
Messi drove deep to set up the play before making a perfectly timed run into the box. Messi controlled Lisandro Martinez’s pass with characteristic elegance before slotting it past Cape Verde’s veteran goalkeeper Fozenha.For more than two decades, Messi has trafficked in miracles, but this latest achievement cements his place in a remarkable statistic all its own. As the defending champions head to Atlanta to face Egypt on Tuesday, the football world watches in awe. Argentina may be on their way to results thanks to sheer perseverance, but with their captain at a historic level of lethality, Argentina look impressive.