Lionel Messi will turn 39 soon and has already set new milestones. Known worldwide for his exceptional skills, Messi recently achieved another landmark at the World Cup.
He entered the tournament trailing France’s Kylian Mbappé on the all-time World Cup goals list. Mbappé had scored two goals against Senegal earlier in the day, which placed him ahead for a short time.
Messi, however, wasn’t far behind. He scored three goals against Algeria, which helped Argentina kick off their defense of their championship title strongly. This performance allowed Messi to once again surpass the player he faced in a memorable World Cup Final four years ago.
Despite his incredible achievement, Messi hasn’t yet broken the record for the most World Cup goals. He stands tied with Germany’s Miroslav Klose, who set the record at 16 during the 2014 World Cup. Klose had achieved this feat by scoring in the semifinal match and securing a win against Messi’s Argentina in the final.
Now, 12 years later, Messi equals Klose with 16 goals. The remainder of the World Cup has turned into an exciting chase between Messi and Mbappé, as both continue to show strong performances with the potential for more goals in the tournament hosted in North America.
Messi’s chance to take the record outright comes next Monday against Austria. This match will coincide with his birthday celebrations, possibly marking another memorable moment in his career.
Mbappé, currently at 14 goals, will face Iraq the same day. He also has opportunities to tie or surpass Klose’s record, creating a significant point of interest during this year’s World Cup.