He is 39 years old. He has already won everything. And yet, Lionel Messi has just made this 2026 World Cup even crazier than it already was. Three group stage matches, six goals, and an absolute record that seemed locked since 2014: he is now the top scorer in World Cup history, all players and all editions combined.
The three group matches, goal by goal
Each match added its stone to the building. Plus, the ratings given by Sofascore place Messi at the absolute top of the ranking of the best players of the entire group stage of the tournament, ahead of the 1248 players who participated in this edition.
A hat-trick that instantly equals Miroslav Klose's historic record (16 goals). First goal at the 17th minute. Messi also joins Oleg Salenko as the only players to score three goals in a single group stage match since 1994, with a major advantage: unlike the Russian, whose team was eliminated behind, Messi's Argentina continues the tournament.
A double that definitively changes history: Messi surpasses Klose and becomes the sole top scorer in World Cup history with 18 goals. A striking coincidence, this June 22 match fell exactly forty years after Maradona's goal against England in 1986, one of the most famous in football history.
Rested on the bench by Lionel Scaloni for a match without sporting stakes, Messi came on in the 60th minute to cheers and scored, twenty minutes later, a direct free kick he earned himself. His 19th World Cup goal, and a new record: becoming the first player in history to score in seven consecutive final tournament matches, ahead of legends Just Fontaine and Jairzinho.
Seven consecutive matches with a goal: an almost unbreakable record
This record even surpasses the total goals record. Scoring in a World Cup match is already rare. Doing it seven times in a row, spanning two different editions, had never happened before Messi.
Seven goals in seven matches, including doubles and a hat-trick. From the 2022 semi-final to this match against Jordan, Messi simply never stopped scoring in the World Cup for nearly four years.
At the top, but surrounded by historic competition
What makes this performance even more remarkable is the level of competition it leaves behind. Cristiano Ronaldo, Mbappé, Haaland, Dembélé: all shone in this group stage, without coming close to Messi's pace.
| Player | Goals (group stage) | Sofascore Rating |
|---|---|---|
| Lionel Messi | 6 goals | 9,07 / 10 |
| Ousmane Dembélé | 4 goals, 1 assist | 8,57 / 10 |
| Vinicius Jr | — | 8,43 / 10 |
| Erling Haaland | 4 goals | 8,25 / 10 |
| Kylian Mbappé | 4 goals | 8,23 / 10 |
| Cristiano Ronaldo | 1 goal | 7,07 / 10 |
Dembélé also delivered one of the other great individual moments of this group stage, with a hat-trick scored in just 32 minutes against Norway (4-1), the second fastest in the tournament’s history. But even this performance is not enough to dethrone Messi from first place.
On Ronaldo’s side, at 41 years old, the statistic is harsh: becoming the second oldest scorer in World Cup history behind Roger Milla after his goal against Uzbekistan, he still remains outside the Sofascore top 50 of this group stage, reflecting a Portugal team that failed to convince.
The question stirring Argentina: too dependent on Messi?
One detail stands out in this Sofascore ranking: Argentina has no other player besides Messi in the top 50 of the group stage. A statistic that reignites a recurring debate for years about the albiceleste team’s dependence on their captain.
I’m in a difficult situation because I have no words left, I don’t know what to say in the face of what he’s doing.
This is how Lionel Scaloni, Argentina’s coach, tried to sum up the moment after his captain’s 19th goal. One thing is certain: Argentina achieved their group stage objective with a perfect record, 9 points out of 9, without conceding a single goal before the 55th minute of the very last match.
Next up: Cape Verde, then the goal of the fourth star
Qualified at the top of their group, Argentina now faces Cape Verde in the round of 16, one of the most remarkable stories of this 2026 World Cup, having qualified thanks to three draws in the group stage. On paper, a rather favorable draw for Messi, who will have the chance to extend his personal record even further.
The question remains how far a 39-year-old player can go, who, three years after lifting the trophy in Qatar, continues to make history in the competition match after match.
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