Messi Scores His 19th World Cup Goal in Seven Consecutive WC Games: The Records That Cannot Be Stopped

[GameChanger]

Lionel Messi came off the bench in Argentina's 3-1 win over Jordan on Saturday and scored his sixth goal of this World Cup with a low, precisely placed direct free kick in the 80th minute that gave the goalkeeper absolutely no chance. The goal was his 19th in World Cup history, extending his all-time record further. It also made him the first player ever to score in seven consecutive World Cup appearances, a record that encompasses games at this tournament and the 2022 Qatar final, where he scored twice. Argentina go into the knockouts with a perfect nine points from three games, top of Group J, and face Cape Verde in Miami on July 3.

The statistical footnotes from this tournament are becoming extraordinary. Messi now has six goals from outside the penalty area at World Cups, breaking a tie with Rivaldo for the most in the last 60 years. He has become only the fifth player to score six goals in a single World Cup group stage, the first since Oleg Salenko for Russia in 1994. He scored two direct free kicks in the same tournament, only the sixth player to do so in the last six decades. Lautaro Martinez and Giovani Lo Celso both scored their first World Cup goals in this game as Argentina rotated squad depth to keep Messi fresh for the knockouts.

Jordan played with genuine courage. Mousa Tamari scored for them in the 55th minute to make it 2-1 and briefly gave their fans hope. But Argentina are too deep a squad and too well organised under Scaloni for that to last. The Cape Verde round of 32 matchup on July 3 is as close to a certain Argentina win as exists in football. If Messi maintains this form through to the final on July 19, the record books will need significant revisions.

FIFA World Cup 2026 stats: Messi sets another World Cup record; Ronaldo second with 25; Kanewww.espn.com