Messi becomes Argentina's record World Cup goal scorer
Messi headed to Qatar with no fewer than three players ahead of him, but his penalty against Croatia in the semi-final ensured he would leave the 2022 World Cup with at least one piece of history.
Lionel Messi is officially Argentina's record-ever goalscorer at the World Cup after he bagged his fifth of the 2022 tournament in Qatar, taking his total to 11.
Messi headed to Qatar with no fewer than three players ahead of him, but his penalty against Croatia in the semi-final ensured he would leave the 2022 World Cup with at least one piece of history.
Batistuta only needed 12 games to reach his tally, while Messi was making his 25th World Cup appearance on Tuesday – that saw him equal Lothar Matthaus' all-time record for most outings at the tournament.
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Nevertheless, Messi's strike highlights the Paris Saint-Germain star's remarkable longevity.
Qatar 2022 is the fifth World Cup Messi has played in, a feat no one has ever bettered.
Messi's first-ever World Cup goal came in 2006 when he scored in the 6-0 rout of Serbia and Montenegro to became Argentina's youngest-ever goalscorer at 18.
He had to wait eight years until his next, though, although he had a fine 2014 World Cup with goals against Bosnia and Herzegovina, Iran and Nigeria before Argentina were defeated in the final.
The 2018 World Cup was not good for him and he managed just a single goal, although it was a superb one against, again Nigeria.
However, his five goals in Qatar has seen him leave behind Mario Kempes and leapfrog Diego Maradona, Guillermo Stabile, and Batistuta to the top of the list.
The Argentine magician would need to play again in the 2026 World Cup – during which he will turn 39 – to become Argentina's oldest scorer at the tournament, however, with Martin Palermo (36 years, 227 days) holding that particular record.
The 2022 World Cup is widely expected to be Messi's last.
