The time has come for the greatest soccer player of all time to bid farewell to the biggest tournament in the sport. Lionel Messi and Argentina begin their 2026 World Cup journey looking to defend the title and with the soccer deity on the doorstep of breaking multiple World Cup records.
For the first time ever, Messi enters the World Cup without the enormous pressure of ending Argentina’s title-drought. The weight and burden of delivering La Albiceleste’s first global triumph since Diego Maradona in 1986 finally disappeared as Messi produced a memorable campaign in Qatar in 2022 to bring the World Cup trophy back to Argentina at the fifth time of asking.
Messi completed soccer on that iconic night on December 18, 2022. At 35-years-old, many expected the 2022 final to mark his last tournament appearance. But three and a half years after that momentous occasion at Lusail, a 38-year-old Messi is ready to captain Argentina’s title defense.
Relieved of the pressure that harassed him for his entire international career, Messi started the 2026 World Cup with arguably the greatest tournament performance of his career scoring his first ever hat-trick in competition history to go level with Miroslav Klose as the joint top-goalscorer in World Cup history with 16.
Adding a fourth star to the jersey is the primary mission, but Argentina’s No. 10 is also within touching distance of World Cup records that could elevate his own legend to unimaginable heights.
Every Record Messi Could Break In 2026 World Cup
| Record | Current Holder | What Messi Needs to Break it |
|---|---|---|
| Most Goals | Miroslav Klose (16) | One goal |
| Most Assists | Diego Maradona, Lionel Messi (8) | One assist |
| Most Wins | Miroslav Klose (17) | One win |
On the same day Kylian Mbappé scored a brace to reach 14 World Cup goals, Messi one-upped him and bagged a hat-trick to overtake the Frechman, Gerd Müller, Ronaldo and go match Klose’s 16. One more goal is enough for Messi to become the outright top goalscorer in World Cup history.
His memorable performance also saw him set the new record as the oldest player in World Cup history to score a hat-trick. He also joined Cristiano Ronaldo as the only players ever to score in five different World Cups.
If Argentina wins one more match in its 2026 Wolrd Cup campaign, then Messi will become the winningest player in tournament history with 18, overtaking Klose’s 17.
Messi is already tied for the most assist in World Cup history with eight, a record he shared with the man he has been compared to incessantly during his international career, fellow Argentina all-time great Diego Maradona. One assist is all Messi needs to get full ownership of the record.
The Inter Miami man already owns the record for the player with the most men’s World Cup appearances with 26, a record he’ll continue padding this summer. He also joins Mexico’s Guillermo Ochoa and career-rival Cristiano Ronaldo as the only male players to be selected for six different World Cups, yet only Ronaldo and Messi will have actually played in all six.
If Argentina reach the 2026 World Cup final, he’d join four other players in history to play in three different finals, after previously getting there in 2014 and 2022. He could become the oldest goalscorer in World Cup final history and the first player to captain two World Cup-winning sides.
Lionel Messi’s Final One-Word Message Before 2026 World Cup Debut
On the eve of Argentina’s 2026 World Cup debut, Messi delivered one final message before the start of his last dance. “Together,” Messi wrote on Instagram, calling on an entire nation to band together in an effort to push ahead towards another magical run.
“Lionel Messi has always been on the pitch when Argentina needed him most, and tomorrow will be no exception,” manager Lionel Scaloni said on the eve of the match against Algeria, via Gastón Edul.
“The entire world wants to see him play,” Scaloni said. “The entire world wants to see him on the pitch because he generates an effect not only on people from Argentina, but on supporters from all over the world.”
Messi will be aiming to shatter even more records and once again lead Argentina to glory like he did in Qatar. For the entire soccer world, though, it’s the last chance to watch the consensus greatest player of all time showcase his magical quality in the sport’s biggest, most iconic tournament.
