Along with Cristiano Ronaldo, Antonio Carbajal, Lothar Matthaus, Rafa Marquez, and Andres Guardado, Messi is one of just six players to have participated in five World Cups. Messi and Lothar Matthaus have each participated in the most World Cups (25). If he participates in the championship, “La Pulga Atomica” will seize the overall records.
In his 18 World Cup appearances as captain, Messi has set a record. Rafa Marquez (17) and Diego Maradona come after him (16). Paolo Maldini has logged 2,217 of the World Cup’s total playing time. Messi, who has 2,194 points, might beat the Italian in the Qatar 2022 championship game.
Only Messi has contributed an assist in five World Cups. Pele, Grzegorz Lato, Diego Maradona, and David Beckham are his main rivals because they each scored in three games.
The record for the most assists in the knockout stage is shared by Pele and Messi (6).
With 11 goals, Messi is the joint-leading scorer and records keeper for Argentina in the World Cup. Gabriel Batistuta (10), Diego Maradona (8), Guillermo Stabile (8), Mario Kempes (6), and Gonzalo Higuain follow him in the rankings (5).
Only Messi has scored in the World Cup while still a teenager, adult, and senior. Pele fell four months short of achieving the same.
The time between Messi’s first and most recent World Cup goals was 16 years and 180 days. Cristiano Ronaldo, who has played in the World Cup for 16 years and 160 days, has the next-largest career span.
Messi has received the Player of the Match award an unprecedented 10 times since it was first given out in 2002. Wesley Sneijder and he both received four in Brazil in 2014, which is a record for one edition.