Lionel Messi continues to rewrite football history in his sixth World Cup appearance. By the end of the 2026 tournament’s group stage, the Argentine captain had scored six goals, surpassing or equaling the total goals of 30 participating nations. His tally includes a hat-trick against Algeria, two goals versus Austria, and a free-kick strike after coming on as a substitute against Jordan.

Messi’s performance has set a new record for scoring in seven consecutive World Cup matches, breaking the previous joint record held by France’s Just Fontaine and Brazil’s Jairzinho. Out of Argentina’s eight goals in the group stage, six came from Messi. Statistical data show that only 17 teams, excluding Argentina, have scored more than him so far, while Panama remains goalless.

With Messi leading the Golden Boot race, Argentina now looks ahead to the knockout stage. Maintaining his current form could strengthen both his personal record and Argentina’s hopes of defending their World Cup title.