Lionel Messi is Argentina’s all-time top scorer at the World Cup. The seven-time Ballon d’Or winner led his country to the World Cup in Qatar on Tuesday in their semi-final against Croatia.
Messi converted a first-half penalty to score his 11th world championship goal. He shared the Argentine record up to that point with Gabriel Batistuta.
Former top scorer Batistuta only needed twelve World Cup matches for his ten goals. The 35-year-old Messi has been against Croatia for the 25th time at the kick-off of a World Cup match.
Messi can call himself the tournament’s top scorer in his fifth World Cup – he was also there in 2006, 2010, 2014 and 2018. Like Frenchman Kylian Mbappé, he scored five goals.
With a win over Croatia, Messi will have the chance to run out Batistuta and Mbappé during Sunday’s final. Mbappé could also reach the final; France will face Morocco in the other semi-final on Wednesday.
If Argentina make it to the final, Messi can normally also call himself the player with the most World Cup appearances. He now shares that record (25 duels) with German Lothar Matthäus.
