Lionel Messi has added yet another remarkable chapter to his legendary career, becoming the first player in FIFA World Cup history to score in eight consecutive matches after finding the net in Argentina's Round of 32 clash against Cape Verde at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Already the tournament's all-time leading goalscorer, the Argentine captain extended a record that he had set during the group stage, when he became the first footballer to score in seven successive World Cup matches. His latest strike has now taken that unprecedented streak to eight.
Messi was fed superbly by Lisandro Martinez and after a sublime first touch, the maestro finished expertly to give Argentina the lead against the African nation.
And with the goal, the veteran has
now etched his name with an incredible record, becoming the first player to score in 8 consecutive matches.
Messi's incredible run began during Argentina's triumphant 2022 World Cup campaign in Qatar. After opening his knockout account against Australia in the Round of 16, he scored in every remaining match of the tournament before carrying that form into the 2026 edition.
Lionel Messi's Eight-Match World Cup Scoring Streak
2022 Round of 16: vs Australia
2022 Quarter-final: vs Netherlands
2022 Semi-final: vs Croatia
2022 Final: vs France (2 goals)
2026 Group Stage: vs Algeria (Hat-trick)
2026 Group Stage: vs Austria (Brace)
2026 Group Stage: vs Jordan
2026 Round of 32: vs Cape Verde
The achievement eclipses the previous benchmark of six consecutive World Cup matches with a goal, jointly held by France's Just Fontaine (1958) and Brazil's Jairzinho (1970). Messi broke that record against Jordan in the group stage and has now pushed the mark even further to eight consecutive games.
The 39-year-old continues to rewrite football history in what is his sixth FIFA World Cup. Alongside holding the record for the most World Cup appearances, Messi also leads the all-time scoring charts in this 2026 tournament simulation with 20 World Cup goals, further cementing his legacy as one of the greatest players the competition has ever witnessed.
With Argentina going strong in the knockout stages, Messi has an opportunity to extend both his scoring streak and his ever-growing collection of World Cup records as the defending champions continue their title defence.
