Kansas City, June 17: Lionel Messi became the second player to score in five World Cups, giving defending champion Argentina an early 1-0 lead over Algeria on Tuesday night.
Making his record sixth appearance in the tournament, the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner found a crease in the Algerian defence and easily beat goalkeeper Luca Zidane for his 14th World Cup goal, sending a blue-and-white-clad crowd packed inside Arrowhead Stadium into delirium.
Moments earlier, Messi had a goal disallowed for offsides.
Messi joins Cristiano Ronaldo of Portugal as the only players with goals in five World Cups. Ronaldo became the first in 2022 and is set to play in his sixth World Cup on Wednesday.
Miroslav Klose of Germany holds the record for World Cup goals with 16, one ahead of Brazil great Ronaldo. Messi’s latest highlight pulled him into a tie for third on the career list with Kylian Mbappé — who scored two goals in France’s 3-1 win over Senegal earlier Tuesday — and Gerd Muller of West Germany.
The goal came 20 years to the day that Messi made his World Cup debut for Argentina in a match against Serbia and Montenegro.
Messi, who turns 39 next week, had been dealing with a minor hamstring injury with Inter Miami had slowed him in the lead-up to the World Cup. But he had no problems in a tuneup last week with Iceland, scoring on a penalty kick while playing 20 minutes.
Messi’s appearance against Algeria was the 200th of his international career, which began in 2005 at the age of 18. The only players with more are Portugal’s Ronaldo, who will play in his 229th on Wednesday against Congo, and Bader al-Mutawa, who played in his 202nd match for Kuwait in 2002.
Messi-mania has swept through Kansas City ever since Argentina’s arrival.
On match day, thousands of fans wearing his No. 10 jersey trekked into the home of the NFL’s Chiefs on the outskirts of Kansas City. Meanwhile, at a watch party at the downtown Power & Light District, a real-life goat accompanied by former NFL quarterback-turned Fox broadcaster Jameis Winston came on stage wearing the same blue-and-white Argentina jersey.
The argument that Messi is soccer’s GOAT — greatest of all time — is becoming no argument at all with every World Cup goal.
