Consider the following records that Messi has already set:
Messi has won the prestigious award for the best men’s soccer player in the world a record seven times, setting a new benchmark.
In 2012, Messi scored an incredible 91 goals in a single calendar year, surpassing Gerd Muller’s previous record of 85 goals set in 1972.
During the 2011-2012 season, Messi scored 73 goals for Barcelona, setting a new European club record for most goals in a single season.
Messi’s achievements in football are truly remarkable. He has scored an impressive 36 hat-tricks (three goals in a single match) in La Liga, setting a new record as the player with the most hat-tricks in league history.
Looking ahead, Messi will have the opportunity to further add to his outstanding list of achievements during the 2022 World Cup. His goal is to lead Argentina to a third World Cup victory, following their triumphs in 1978 and 1986. If he is successful, he will cement his status as one of the greatest athletes in the history of the sport.
In the tournament, Argentina needed a win over Mexico on Day 2 after losing to Saudi Arabia on Day 1. Messi took responsibility and delivered a crucial long-range goal to give the team the lead. He also provided an excellent assist for Enzo Fernández’s magnificent goal, which sealed the victory.
But that was not the only historical role that Messi played during the World Cup. This second assist made him the first player to contribute to five Men’s World Cups: 2006, 2010, 2014, 2018 and now 2022. His impact on rewriting history didn’t end there, however.
Having already scored, the assist made him the youngest and oldest player in World Cup history to both score and assist in the same game. He accomplished this feat as an 18-year-old against Serbia in 2006 and as a 35-year-old against Mexico. His magnificent assist for Nahuel Molina’s first goal against the Netherlands in the quarterfinals is a strong candidate for the tournament’s top assist.
In the semi-finals, his impressive run and pass to Julián Álvarez, who scored Argentina’s third goal against Croatia, ensured he tied Maradona’s record of eight World Cup assists for Argentina. In Qatar, Messi broke another Maradona record.
The 1986 World Cup hero captained his country 16 times. Messi equaled that total in the semifinals before surpassing it in the championship game.
