There is little left to debate. At 39 years old, Lionel Messi has taken his place in football history unlike any player before him.

Two decades after scoring his first FIFA World Cup goal as an 18-year-old, the Argentina captain has guided his country into another World Cup final while becoming the tournament’s all-time leader in goals, assists, and appearances a combination of records no player has ever held simultaneously.

Messi’s World Cup story began on June 16, 2006, when he came off the bench to score against Serbia and Montenegro in Germany. The goal has since become one of the tournament’s most unique moments, as Montenegro had declared independence just days before the World Cup began, meaning the team represented a country that had effectively ceased to exist.

Twenty years later, many of Messi’s contemporaries including 2006 Golden Boot winner Miroslav Klose have long retired.

Messi, however, continues to define football’s biggest stage. On July 16, 2026, he produced another decisive moment by setting up Lautaro MartĂ­nez’s winning goal against England, sending Argentina into the World Cup final.

Messi’s World Cup career has not always been smooth. After scoring once in 2006, he endured a disappointing 2010 tournament in South Africa, where he failed to score as Argentina were eliminated 4-0 by Germany in the quarterfinals. It remains the only World Cup in which Messi finished without a goal, fueling criticism that he could only thrive at Barcelona.

He answered those doubts over the following years.

  • 2006: 1 goal
  • 2010: 0 goals
  • 2014: 4 goals (Runner-up)
  • 2018: 1 goal
  • 2022: 7 goals (Champion)
  • 2026: 8 goals

Remarkably, the highest-scoring World Cup of his career has come at the age of 39. Messi entered the 2026 tournament with 13 World Cup goals. A hat-trick against Algeria saw him equal Miroslav Klose’s record of 16, before he surpassed it against Austria. By the semifinal against England, his tally had reached 21 goals, making him the tournament’s all-time leading scorer.

His influence extends far beyond finishing chances. Against England, Messi did not score but created both of Argentina’s goals, raising his World Cup assist total to 12, another all-time record. By reaching the final, he also made his 34th World Cup appearance, extending his lead over Lothar Matthäus’ previous record of 25 matches.

Together, those achievements make Messi the first player in World Cup history to simultaneously rank first in goals, assists, and appearances.

The semifinal against England highlighted why Messi remains so influential despite his age. England took the lead through Anthony Gordon, but Messi orchestrated Argentina’s comeback. He first found Enzo Fernández with a perfectly weighted pass for the equalizer before delivering a stoppage-time cross that Lautaro MartĂ­nez headed home for the winner.

Neither goal carried Messi’s name, yet both were created by him. It was another reminder that his impact is measured not only by goals but also by his ability to shape matches.

Messi’s World Cup career has not been flawless. He has missed three penalties at the tournament against Iceland (2018), Poland (2022), and Austria (2026) the most by any player in World Cup history. Ironically, he responded to the miss against Austria by scoring twice and breaking Klose’s scoring record in the same match. His career has been defined not by perfection, but by resilience.

Argentina will face Spain in the 2026 FIFA World Cup Final, a match expected to be Messi’s final appearance on football’s biggest stage. It will mark his 34th World Cup match, his third World Cup final, and the conclusion of a remarkable 20-year World Cup career.

Whether Argentina lifts the trophy or not, Messi has already achieved something unprecedented. No player in the tournament’s history has ever led the all-time rankings for goals, assists, and appearances at the same time.

Perhaps the debate is no longer whether Lionel Messi is one of football’s greatest players. The real question is how long it will take before another player comes close to matching what he has accomplished.

Sources: K14