The Argentina national team had to work much harder than expected to stay in the World Cup. The ‘Albiceleste’ beat Cape Verde 3–2 in a dramatic match that was decided in extra time.

The African side put up a highly competitive performance and pushed the reigning world champions to their limits, with the latter only managing to secure victory in the dying minutes of extra time.

Despite the tension and drama on the pitch, football once again made room for individual brilliance.

Amidst adverse conditions and with the score tight, Lionel Messi added two more golden milestones to his impressive professional career.

The player with the most World Cup appearances

The Argentine star started against Cape Verde and reached the incredible milestone of 30 World Cup appearances.

With this record, he stands alone as the player with the most appearances in the history of the competition.

Messi’s latest World Cup statistics:

  • 30 World Cup matches played

  • 20 goals scored at World Cups

More goals for the all-time goalscoring charts

Furthermore, Messi opened the scoring against Cape Verde and netted his 20th World Cup goal to remain at the top of the tournament’s all-time goalscorers’ table.

With this latest goal, the Argentine captain has now scored seven goals in this World Cup (the same number he scored at Qatar 2022).

Only Kylian Mbappé, with 6 goals, is hot on his heels in the current tournament. Indeed, the Frenchman has 18 goals on the all-time list, where he also sits second behind the Argentine.

A nail-biting qualification

Argentina can breathe a sigh of relief after securing a hard-fought place in the next round. The team remains in contention in the World Cup, where they will face Egypt in the round of 16.

For his part, Messi continues to cement a legend that knows no bounds. This double historic milestone will be yet another hallmark of the World Cup’s all-time top scorer (Ballon d'Or).

Will there be room for more records from the captain at this World Cup?