Lionel Messi Breaks Pele's Record with Historic Goal in FIFA World Cup
Messi's Historic Achievement
In a remarkable display of skill, Lionel Messi made history by surpassing a 56-year-old record previously held by Pele. He netted his 14th goal in FIFA World Cup history, marking a spectacular start to Argentina's title defense during their opening match against Algeria at Kansas City Stadium on June 16. The 38-year-old superstar scored in the 17th minute with a stunning left-footed shot from outside the penalty area. With this goal, Messi has now scored in five different World Cup tournaments, having previously found the net in 2006, 2014, 2018, and 2022, although he did not score in the 2010 tournament. Additionally, he has provided eight assists throughout his World Cup career.
Messi Sets New World Record
Messi's contributions now total 22 goals (14 goals and eight assists) in World Cup history, making him the player with the most goal contributions ever recorded. This record was previously held by Pele and matched by Messi during the 2022 final. Top Goal Contributions in FIFA World Cup History
| Player (Country) | Goal Contributions |
| Lionel Messi (Argentina) | 22 (14 goals, eight assists) |
| Pele (Brazil) | 21 (12 goals, nine assists) |
| Mirsalov Klose (Germany) | 19 (16 goals, 3 assists) |
| Ronaldo (Brazil) | 19 (15 goals, 4 assists) |
| Gerd Muller (Germany) | 18 (14 goals, 4 assists) |
Messi has now tied with Kylian Mbappe and Gerd Muller, ranking as the joint third-highest goal scorer in World Cup history. Only Ronaldo (15) and Mirsalov Klose (16) have more goals. Both Messi and Mbappe are on track to potentially become the tournament's all-time leading scorers. Furthermore, according to OPTA, Messi's five goals scored from outside the box are the most in World Cup history since data collection began in 1966, tying him with Rivellino. Notably, Messi is now the second player, after Ronaldo, to score in five different World Cup editions.