Messi Breaks 96-year World Cup Record As Argentina Sends Egypt Home

Lionel Messi continued his remarkable run at the 2026 FIFA World Cup on Tuesday, scoring again as Argentina came from behind to defeat Egypt 3-2 in a dramatic Round of 16 clash.

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 World Cup, Messi has now scored in nine straight World Cup matches, setting a new record in the history of the competition.

The 39-year-old had previously equalled the mark against Austria before moving clear with his goal against Egypt.

Messi Equals Stábile’s 1930 Record

NEWSNGR reports that Messi’s goal against Egypt was his eighth of the 2026 tournament, drawing him level with Argentine great Guillermo Stábile for the most goals scored by an Argentina player at a single FIFA World Cup.

Stábile set the long-standing record at the inaugural World Cup in 1930.

Despite the difference in tournament formats between 1930 and the modern competition, both players reached the eight-goal mark in just five matches.

Messi began his 2026 campaign with a hat-trick against Algeria before scoring another treble against Austria. He later added goals against Jordan, Cape Verde and Egypt to take his tally to eight.

Stábile, on the other hand, scored three times against Mexico, twice against Chile, two more in the semi-final against the United States and once in the final against Uruguay.

The strike against Egypt also added another country to the list of nations Messi has scored against at the World Cup.

No player has scored against more different national teams in World Cup history than the Argentine captain, with Egypt becoming the latest side to concede against him 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 advanced to the quarter-finals.

Messi’s most prolific World Cup performances have come in the closing years of his international career.

After scoring seven goals during Argentina’s victorious 2022 campaign, he has already surpassed that figure at the 2026 tournament with eight goals.

Remarkably, Messi scored only six World Cup goals across his first four tournaments between 2006 and 2018.

His latest exploits underline a stunning transformation in his scoring output, with the Argentine captain continuing to rewrite football history at 39.