Last night, Argentina and Cabo Verde battled for the penultimate spot in the Round of 16 at the 2026 World Cup. The reigning world champions secured a hard-fought 3-2 victory after extra time.
Argentina’s captain Lionel Messi played a pivotal role in the match, scoring a goal and providing a decisive assist, while once again rewriting several World Cup records.
Messi became the first player in history to appear in 30 World Cup matches. He also extended his own record for the most goals scored at World Cups, reaching a total of 20.
Additionally, Messi set a new benchmark as the first player to score in eight consecutive World Cup matches. He is also the first footballer to have scored against 14 different national teams in World Cup history. Furthermore, Messi is the only player to have netted seven goals across two separate World Cups.
His assist for Romero’s winning goal marked his ninth at World Cup tournaments, further cementing his status as the all-time leader in assists on football’s biggest stage.
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