Lionel Messi entered his name in the history books on Friday (Saturday IST) by becoming the first player to score seven goals in multiple FIFA World Cup editions. The 39-year-old, who scored seven goals in seven matches for Argentina during the 2022 FIFA World Cup, netted his seventh goal of the 2026 FIFA World Cup in the 29th minute of Argentina’s Round of 32 match against Cape Verde in Miami.
A total of six players have scored at least five goals in multiple FIFA World Cup editions, but Messi is the only one to have scored seven goals in more than one edition.
7 – Lionel #Messi è diventato il primo giocatore nella storia della Coppa del Mondo FIFA a segnare sette o più gol in due diverse edizioni del torneo (2022 e 2026). Taumaturgico.#ArgentinaCapoVerde
pic.twitter.com/Pf5Nvk4XrS
— OptaPaolo (@OptaPaolo) July 3, 2026
Messi is followed by Kylian Mbappé on the list of players with the most goals across multiple FIFA World Cup editions. Mbappé has scored at least six goals in two World Cups, having netted eight times for France at the 2022 FIFA World Cup and six goals in his first four matches of the 2026 edition.
Messi’s goal against Cape Verde also helped him become the first player in FIFA World Cup history to score 20 goals.
The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner scored one goal each at the 2006 and 2018 FIFA World Cups and four goals in the 2014 edition. He has now scored seven goals each at the 2022 and 2026 FIFA World Cups, taking his overall World Cup tally to 20 goals.
List of goals by Lionel Messi in FIFA World Cup
| GOAL NUMBER | AGAINST | VENUE | DATE |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Serbia and Montenegro | Arena AufSchalke, Gelsenkirchen | June 16, 2006 |
| 2 | Bosnia and Herzegovina | Estádio do Maracanã, Rio de Janeiro | June 15, 2014 |
| 3 | Iran | Estádio Mineirão, Belo Horizonte | June 21, 2014 |
| 4 | Nigeria | Estádio Beira-Rio, Porto Alegre | June 25, 2014 |
| 5 | Nigeria | Estádio Beira-Rio, Porto Alegre | June 25, 2014 |
| 6 | Nigeria | Krestovsky Stadium, Saint Petersburg | June 26, 2018 |
| 7 | Saudi Arabia | Lusail Stadium, Lusail | November 22, 2022 |
| 8 | Mexico | Lusail Stadium, Lusail | November 26, 2022 |
| 9 | Australia | Ahmad bin Ali Stadium, Al Rayyan | December 3, 2022 |
| 10 | Netherlands | Lusail Stadium, Lusail | December 9, 2022 |
| 11 | Croatia | Lusail Stadium, Lusail | December 13, 2022 |
| 12 | France | Lusail Stadium, Lusail | December 18, 2022 |
| 13 | France | Lusail Stadium, Lusail | December 18, 2022 |
| 14 | Algeria | Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City | June 16, 2026 |
| 15 | Algeria | Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City | June 16, 2026 |
| 16 | Algeria | Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City | June 16, 2026 |
| 17 | Austria | AT&T Stadium, Arlington | June 22, 2026 |
| 18 | Austria | AT&T Stadium, Arlington | June 22, 2026 |
| 19 | Jordan | AT&T Stadium, Arlington | June 27, 2026 |
| 20 | Cape Verde | Hard Rock Stadium, Miami | July 3, 2026 |
