The GOAT Claims the Ultimate Goal Record
The debate may rage forever, but Lionel Messi added a monumental piece of evidence to his case for being the greatest of all time. During Argentina's group stage match against Austria, Messi scored his 17th career World Cup goal, surpassing Germany's
Miroslav Klose (16) to become the standalone all-time leading goalscorer in the history of the men's tournament. He began the tournament three goals shy of the record and equalled it with a sensational hat-trick against Algeria in Argentina's opening match. By the end of the round of 16, his tally had climbed to an astonishing 21 goals, further cementing a legacy that now includes one of the game's most coveted records.
Cristiano Ronaldo's Historic Last Dance
Not to be outdone, Cristiano Ronaldo created his own chapter of history in what he confirmed was his final World Cup. By scoring against Uzbekistan in the group stage, he became the first player in history to score in six different World Cup tournaments—a testament to his incredible longevity. Later, in Portugal's round of 32 victory over Croatia, the 41-year-old superstar scored his first-ever knockout stage goal, becoming the oldest player to score in a World Cup knockout match. The match was also historic for featuring two outfield players over 40, with Croatia's Luka Modrić also starting.
Kylian Mbappé: The Knockout King
While Messi and Ronaldo rewrote records of longevity, Kylian Mbappé continued his assault on the history books with blistering pace. The French forward became the all-time leading scorer in World Cup knockout stage matches, with his brace against Sweden taking his knockout tally to 10 goals. By the end of the round of 16, Mbappé's career total stood at 19 World Cup goals, placing him just behind Messi and well ahead of schedule to one day claim the top spot. His goalscoring exploits also made him France's all-time leading scorer, surpassing Olivier Giroud.
A Tournament of Superlatives: Goals and Crowds
The expanded format led to an explosion of on-field action and off-field passion. The 2026 tournament officially became the highest-scoring World Cup in history, with 173 goals tallied before the group stage was even complete, breaking the previous record. This was fueled by a number of high-scoring encounters and the increased number of matches, totaling 104 for the tournament. Fans turned out in unprecedented numbers, shattering the all-time attendance record. The group stage alone saw over 4.6 million fans fill stadiums to 99.7% capacity. The United States also set a new benchmark for the highest combined attendance for any host nation in history. FIFA Fan Festivals also saw record attendance, with over 5.5 million people gathering in host cities.
Messi the Playmaker
As if breaking the all-time scoring record wasn't enough, Lionel Messi also cemented his status as the ultimate creator. In Argentina's dramatic round of 16 comeback victory against Egypt, he provided a crucial assist for his team's first goal. That assist was his ninth in World Cup play, moving him past the legendary Diego Maradona (8) to become the sole record-holder for the most assists in tournament history. In the same match, at 39 years and 13 days old, he also became the oldest player to both score and assist in a knockout game.
