Messi made his FIFA World Cup debut as a teenager in 2006
He has amassed a record 27 appearances across six tournaments
Iconic No10 has scored joint-record 16 goals at global showpiece
Lionel Messi cemented his status as one of the greatest to ever lace up their boots after guiding to victory at
Despite having little left to prove, the 38-year-old went into with a burning hunger to dominate on the global stage once again - and with an opportunity to extend
In taking the field against Algeria in their group stage opener, Messi became the first player to take part in six World Cups, while he also made his 27th total appearance, extending the lead he already possessed.
The maestro proceeded to scored a terrific hat-trick in Kansas City - his first of the global finals - to join Miroslav Klose on the with 16 goals.
As the North American showpiece rolls on, FIFA takes a look back at all of Messi’s World Cup appearances, accompanied by goals and highlights from every outing.
Wearing No19, Messi replaced Maxi Rodriguez with 15 minutes of normal time remaining. Thirteen minutes later, he latched on to a pass from Carlos Tevez, taking the ball into his stride as he surged into the area before slotting home a right-footed effort to secure a historic goal on his World Cup debut.
This was Messi’s first start for his country at the World Cup. He showed flashes of brilliance and linked up seamlessly with Juan Roman Riquelme, but the Albiceleste were unable to break down their European opponents.
In a pulsating encounter ultimately settled by a Maxi Rodriguez wonder-strike, Messi entered the fray in the 84th minute, replacing Javier Saviola. His involvement changed the rhythm of proceedings to help Jose Pekerman’s charges disrupt a Mexico side that had been in the ascendancy.
This game is still remembered for the remarkable performance of Nigerian goalkeeper Vincent Enyeama. Despite his best efforts to keep the South Americans at bay, a headed finish from Gabriel Heinze separated the sides at full time.
Argentina showcased their ruthless attacking prowess, with striker Gonzalo Higuain the standout player on the day with a hat-trick. Messi, donning the No10 shirt, failed to get on the scoresheet as the world watched in anticipation.
With qualification already secured, head coach Diego Maradona selected a side featuring several fringe players, but he couldn’t leave out his mercurial No10, who was handed the armband.
Argentina once again demonstrated their attacking flair through Higuain, Tevez and Messi, the latter playing an instrumental role in the victory despite failing to get on the scoresheet himself.
This game proved to be nothing short of a nightmare for Maradona’s charges, who were completely undone in one of the most devastating defeats of Messi’s career.
After a poor first-half showing, a number of attacking changes at the break helped to unshackle Messi, whose wonderful strike saw Argentina over the line.
The Iranians adopted a low block to try to stifle their South American opponents and had executed their plan to perfection. That is until second-half injury time, when an inspired Messi shifted the ball onto his left foot and exploited the narrowest of gaps by curling an unforgettable effort into the bottom corner.
A Messi masterclass. This time, Enyeama, the goalkeeper who had been in inspired form four years earlier, was left dumbfounded. Argentina’s talismanic No10 ran riot with two strikes, including the most pinpoint of free kicks, which remains the only one he has scored at a World Cup.
Angel Di Maria’s 118th-minute decider owed everything to a mercurial run by Messi, who weaved his way to the edge of the Swiss penalty area before laying the ball on a plate for Di Maria to stroke home.
Messi’s game revolved around much more than merely carving out attacks. He also had to protect the ball, win fouls and wear down the opposition. This was very much the order of the day against Belgium, in an encounter decided by an early Higuain effort.
Javier Mascherano’s last-ditch tackle as Arjen Robben let fly from close range was one of the most memorable moments of the match, as was Maxi Rodriguez’s celebratory knee-slide and embrace with goalkeeper Sergio Romero, who was the hero in the shootout, where Messi did his part by converting his kick.
In the immediate aftermath of the tournament showpiece, some pundits felt that Messi had put in a disappointing performance, but a deeper analysis revealed his perseverance, attacking intent and drive, demonstrating that he had provided his side’s best attacking outlet. His miss when one-on-one with Manuel Neuer nevertheless weighed heavily.
Argentina’s opener in Russia set the tone for what was to come. Under Jorge Sampaoli’s leadership, the team never got into their stride and laboured from the outset. Messi, unable to find his rhythm, missed a penalty as they had to settle for a point.
The Albiceleste further compounded their poor showing at the tournament with a heavy defeat against eventual finalists Croatia. Messi, who looked a shadow of himself, was unable to have an impact on the game.
A minor resurgence saw Messi execute one of the finest goals of his career when he brought down a sumptuous Ever Banega pass on his knee before taking the ball away from the defender and unleashing a fierce drive back across the goalkeeper. Marcos Rojo then scored a thumping side-foot volley to send the Argentine fans into raptures and put his side through to the Round of 16.
With Messi leading the line, the Albiceleste sought to banish the memories of a tough group stage and dispatch one of the most daunting sides at the tournament in the process, but France ultimately proved to have too much in their arsenal in a seven-goal thriller, where Kylian Mbappe came to the fore.
Messi comfortably slotted home a penalty to get Argentina’s campaign off to the perfect start, but things soon took a turn for the worse for Lionel Scaloni’s side. Saudi Arabia came out of the traps with renewed impetus in the second half and turned the game on its head, stunning their illustrious opposition in one of the greatest upsets in World Cup history.
Relatively anonymous for over an hour, Messi seemed to be struggling to shrug off the disappointment of Argentina’s opening defeat. Then, in the 64th minute, he got free of his marker and latched on to a firm pass from Di Maria before setting himself and finishing with unerring precision that left Guillermo Ochoa with no chance in the Mexico goal.
Messi saw his spot kick saved by Wojciech Szczęsny, but the Polish goalkeeper’s heroics were ultimately in vain. Messi, constantly open and exploiting the space afforded to him, again found his game-changing spark to inspire his side to victory.
Messi opened the scoring after darting into the area to touch the ball home. In a game dominated by Scaloni’s side, although they survived some late drama, Messi stole the show with another excellent display.
One of the most epic contests in Messi’s career, which included his razor-sharp pass to Nahuel Molina that carved through the Oranje defence. Later in the game, he converted a penalty and then held his nerve again in the shootout which followed a dramatic comeback from the Netherlands to level an encounter which had seemed lost.
Messi broke the deadlock with an emphatic penalty that gave Dominik Livakovic no chance before Julian Alvarez bulldozed his way through the Croatia defence to make it 2-0. In the 69th minute, Messi produced yet another unforgettable World Cup moment when he picked the ball up in the tightest of spaces on the right wing and dribbled to the byline before turning Josko Gvardiol inside out and laying the ball back for Alvarez to seal the win.
Messi saved one of his finest displays for the World Cup final against France, four years after Les Bleus had eliminated Argentina in the Round of 16. He opened the scoring from the penalty spot, played a pivotal pass that set away Alexis Mac Allister in the build-up to Di Maria’s goal and got on the scoresheet again to make it 3-2 in extra time. He also converted in the shootout with an effort that he stroked calmly past Hugo Lloris.
Messi continued where he left off by producing a performance for the ages as Argentina kicked off their North American campaign with a dominant victory over Algeria. Aged 38, Messi bookended a brilliant hat-trick with two terrific strikes, which was supplemented by an opportunistic effort. It was Messi's first World Cup treble and put him level with Miroslav Klose on 16 finals goals.
Sources: FIFA Official
