Miami: Argentina captain Lionel Messi has etched his name deeper into football history by becoming the first player ever to score in eight consecutive FIFA World Cup matches. The landmark came during Argentina’s dramatic 3-2 extra-time victory over Cape Verde in the Round of 32 of the FIFA World Cup 2026.
Messi opened the scoring in the 29th minute, netting his 20th career World Cup goal and his seventh goal of the 2026 tournament, reclaiming the lead in the Golden Boot race. His scoring streak began during Argentina’s triumphant 2022 World Cup campaign and has continued uninterrupted throughout the 2026 tournament.
The historic streak includes goals against:
- Australia (Round of 16, 2022)
- Netherlands (Quarter-final, 2022)
- Croatia (Semi-final, 2022)
- France (Final, 2022 – two goals)
- Algeria (2026 Group Stage)
- Austria (2026 Group Stage)
- Jordan (2026 Group Stage)
- Cape Verde (2026 Round of 32)
Messi had already broken the previous record of seven consecutive World Cup matches, surpassing the mark jointly held by Just Fontaine of France and Jairzinho of Brazil. His latest goal extends that record to eight successive matches, further strengthening his legacy as one of the greatest players in World Cup history.
In addition to the scoring milestone, Messi became the first player to score seven or more goals in two separate FIFA World Cup tournaments. He previously netted seven goals during Argentina’s title-winning campaign in Qatar in 2022 and has already matched that tally in the ongoing tournament.
Although Cape Verde twice fought back to level the score, Argentina eventually secured a 3-2 extra-time victory and advanced to the Round of 16, where they will face Egypt. Messi also played a decisive role in the winning goal by delivering the corner that led to the decisive own goal.
At 39 years of age, Messi continues to rewrite football history, combining individual brilliance with leadership as Argentina pursue back-to-back FIFA World Cup titles.
