Messi does it again, two records in one night

Lionel Messi scored his 20th World Cup goal in Argentina’s Round of 32 win over Cape Verde on Friday night, bettering his all-time record and cementing his lead as the tournament’s all-time top scorer.

Al-Barghout opened the scoring in the 29th minute at Miami’s Hard Rock Stadium after a superb pass from Lisandro Martinez before he picked up the ball and fired a left-footed shot into the net.

Messi, 39, took his tally to 7 goals in just 4 games at the 2026 World Cup to become the first player in history to score in 8 consecutive World Cups in an unprecedented feat to add to his proven record.

The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner widened the gap on his nearest rival, France’s Kylian Mbappe, who has 18 World Cup goals, although the latter scored twice in Tuesday’s 3-0 win over Sweden to take his tally to six in the tournament.

Messi set another record by making his 30th appearance at the World Cup, surpassing all players in history, including German legend Lothar Matthaus, who reached 25.