:STATS

:INFO
The number that changes football history
On 3 July 2026, in a Round of 32 match at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, Lionel Messi converted a first-time left-foot finish to reach 20 career World Cup goals. No player in any edition of any FIFA World Cup, men or women, has scored more. He passed Kylian Mbappe (18), Miroslav Klose (16), Gerd Muller (14), and Marta of Brazil (17 in the women's tournament) along the way. He began this journey as a 19-year-old substitute in Germany 2006 and completed it as a 38-year-old captain playing his sixth and almost certainly final World Cup.


:TIMELINE
⚽🏆🌍
2006-06-01 | Germany 2006. One goal (Serbia and Montenegro). Messi enters the tournament as a 19-year-old sub. Argentina exit in the quarter-finals to the host nation. World Cup goals: 1.
2010-06-01 | South Africa 2010. No goals. Argentina reach the quarter-finals before losing to Germany 4-0. Messi is shut out but named in the Team of the Tournament. World Cup goals: 1.
2014-07-01 | Brazil 2014. Four goals. Messi wins the Golden Ball as best player as Argentina reach the final, losing to Germany 1-0 in extra time. His haul includes a winner against Nigeria and a free kick against Iran. World Cup goals: 5.
2018-06-01 | Russia 2018. One goal (a blistering opener against Nigeria). Argentina exit in the Round of 16, beaten by eventual champions France. Messi's quietest World Cup. World Cup goals: 6.
2022-11-01 | Qatar 2022. Seven goals and the trophy. Messi wins the Golden Ball and the Golden Boot co-winner, leading Argentina to victory over France in a penalty shootout after a 3-3 draw. The greatest World Cup final ever played. World Cup goals: 13.
2026-07-01 | USA, Canada and Mexico 2026. Messi scores a hat-trick against Algeria in the group stage, then adds goals against Saudi Arabia and Austria to break the all-time record. He reaches 20 against Cape Verde in the Round of 32. World Cup goals: 20.

:QUOTE [quotetype:plain, subtitle:Lionel Messi]
I never thought about the numbers when I was young. I just wanted to win. But now I think about how lucky I am to still be playing and still be here.


:NOTE
The 2026 edition alone may rank among his greatest World Cup performances. His hat-trick against Algeria in the group stage was the first by an Argentinian in any World Cup since Guillermo Stabile in 1930. He has now scored in 8 consecutive World Cup matches, a record that no other player is within three appearances of matching.


:CHECKLIST
The all-time top five World Cup scorers (as of 4 July 2026)
[ ] 1. Lionel Messi, Argentina: 20 goals
[ ] 2. Kylian Mbappe, France: 18 goals
[ ] 3. Miroslav Klose, Germany: 16 goals
[ ] 4. Gerd Muller, West Germany: 14 goals
[ ] 5. Just Fontaine, France: 13 goals (all in 1958)

:NOTE
Mbappe, 27 and France's captain at this tournament, is well placed to challenge the record at 2030 and 2034. He needs 3 goals in the remainder of 2026 to draw level with Messi today. But Messi continues to score. No one is safe.


:LINK
https://www.foxsports.com/stories/soccer/messi-2026-world-cup-goals-ranked
All 20 of Messi's World Cup goals, ranked