Lionel Messi is considered one of the greatest players in the history of football. The star footballer has led Argentina to the final clash in the ongoing FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
Messi is just a step away from creating history. By defeating France in the title match, he can add a feather to the cap of his illustrious career by winning the only remaining biggest trophy.
Messi has already announced his retirement and it is his last chance to win the World Cup trophy. The 35-year-old has played a total of 5 World Cups in his career and has registered various records in his name.
Let's look at the football legend's records and milestones:
- According to FIFA's official website, Lionel Messi is one of the only six players to have appeared in five FIFA World Cups.
Apart from Messi, the rest of the players are Antonio Carbajal, Lothar Matthaus, Rafa Marquez, Andres Guardado, and Cristiano Ronaldo.
- Messi has played in 25 matches FIFA matches so far and is the most capped player of the World Cup along with Germany's World Cup-winning captain Lothar Matthaus.
- Lionel Messi holds the record for captaining the most number of matches in the World Cup. He has captained Argentina in 18 World Cup matches.
He is followed by Rafa Marquez at number two with 17 matches and legendary footballer Diego Maradona at number three with 16 matches.
- Messi is the only footballer in the world to have assisted in every edition of five World Cups.
The players who came closest to him in this race are Pele, Gregor Lato, Diego Maradona, and David Beckham. These four footballers assisted in three World Cups.
- Pele and Lionel Messi hold the record for most assists in the knockout phase of the World Cup. Both of them have 6 assists at this stage.
- Lionel Messi is Argentina's top scorer in the World Cup with 11 goals.
He is followed by Gabriel Batistuta at number two with 10 goals, Diego Maradona at number three with 8 goals, Guillermo Stabile at joint third with 8 goals, and Mario Kempes at number four with 6 goals and fifth with 5 goals is Gonzalo Higuain.
- Paolo Maldini has played the most 2,217 minutes in the World Cup. Lionel Messi is just behind him. The Argentina captain has played 2,194 minutes in the World Cup so far.
In the final, Messi can set the record for playing the most minutes in the World Cup.
- Lionel Messi is the only footballer in the world to have scored goals in his teens, 20s, and 30s.
Pele missed making this record by just four months.
- Lionel Messi scored his first and previous goal in the World Cup, 16 years 180 days apart.
After Messi, the second biggest difference of 16 years 160 days between the first and previous World Cup goals is in the name of Cristiano Ronaldo.
