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| Lionel Messi |
Lionel Messi continued his outstanding form at the 2026 FIFA World Cup on Tuesday, scoring as Argentina came from behind to defeat Egypt 3-2 in a thrilling Round of 16 encounter.
The Argentina captain found the net against the Pharaohs to extend his scoring streak at the tournament to five consecutive matches.
Combined with his final four appearances at the 2022 FIFA World Cup, Messi has now scored in nine successive World Cup matches, setting a new record in the competition's history.
The 39-year-old had equalled the previous mark against Austria before surpassing it with his goal against Egypt.
Naija Brain reports that the strike was Messi's eighth goal of the 2026 tournament, drawing him level with Argentine legend Guillermo Stábile for the most goals scored by an Argentina player at a single FIFA World Cup.
Stábile established the record at the inaugural 1930 FIFA World Cup, and despite the differences in tournament formats, both players reached the eight-goal milestone in just five matches.
Messi opened his 2026 campaign with a hat-trick against Algeria before netting another treble against Austria. He later added goals against Jordan, Cape Verde and Egypt to take his tally to eight.
Stábile, meanwhile, scored three goals against Mexico, two against Chile, another two in the semi-final against the United States, and one in the final against Uruguay.
The goal against Egypt also extended Messi's record for scoring against the highest number of different national teams in FIFA World Cup history, with the North Africans becoming the latest side to concede to the Argentine star on football's biggest stage.
Messi also strengthened his position as the competition's all-time leading scorer, taking his World Cup tally to 21 goals as Argentina secured a place in the quarter-finals.
The veteran forward has enjoyed his most prolific World Cup campaigns in the latter stages of his international career. After scoring seven goals during Argentina's triumphant 2022 campaign, he has already surpassed that total with eight goals at the 2026 tournament.
Remarkably, Messi managed just six World Cup goals across his first four tournaments between 2006 and 2018.
His latest achievement further underlines his extraordinary longevity and enduring quality, as the Argentina captain continues to rewrite football history at the age of 39.