Argentine captain Lionel Messi made World Cup history once again, becoming the oldest player to compete in a tournament semi-final at 39 years and 21 days old during Argentina’s recent victory over England in Atlanta.
The milestone is the latest in a series of unprecedented achievements for the veteran forward at the 2026 tournament. Most notably, Messi recently surpassed Germany’s Miroslav Klose to become the all-time leading goalscorer in World Cup history, entering the semi-final with 21 career tournament goals. He also holds the record for the most overall World Cup appearances.
Messi’s relentless performance has been the driving force behind Argentina’s push to defend their 2022 title. Earlier in the campaign, he became the oldest player to score a World Cup hat-trick during a match against Algeria, which also marked his 200th international cap. He currently leads the 2026 Golden Boot race, having tallied eight goals prior to the semi-final with additional strikes against Austria, Jordan, Cape Verde, and Egypt.
Furthermore, Messi now holds the outright record for the most World Cup assists (10) since official tracking began in 1966. As Argentina prepares to face Spain in the upcoming final, the legendary playmaker seeks to cap his record-breaking run with back-to-back global championships.
