- Lionel Messi broke three major records in the World Cup final.
- The Argentina captain added another chapter to his legendary career.
- Messi delivered a historic performance against Spain on football's biggest stage.
Lionel Messi made history once again in football when he broke records in the FIFA World Cup 2026 final match between Argentina and Spain at MetLife Stadium on Sunday. The Argentinian skipper reached three somewhat remarkable milestones, confirming his reputation as one of the greatest football players of all time.
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Lionel Messi Becomes First Men's Player To Start Three FIFA World Cup Finals
Messi achieved a historic milestone as the first male player to play in three FIFA World Cup finals. The 39-year-old set a record that no male football player was able to achieve.
Moreover, Messi made history as the oldest player to play at a FIFA World Cup final in the outfield.
Argentina Captain Sets All-Time World Cup Appearance Record With 34 Matches
The Argentina skipper also became the player with the most FIFA World Cup appearances across both the men's and women's tournaments. His appearance against Spain was his 34th World Cup match, setting a new record.
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In addition, Messi drew level with Brazilian legend Cafu for the most FIFA World Cup final appearances by a men's player, with three finals to his name.
Messi Becomes First Men's Player To Score In Every Stage Of A Single FIFA World Cup
Messi’s phenomenal run as a goal scorer continued as he netted a goal in the final match against Spain. His goal made him the first player to have scored goals across all stages of a FIFA World Cup event.
Messi’s scoring spree included goals in each of the group matches, Round 32 matches, Round 16 matches, quarterfinals, semifinals and the final, thus making it one of the best individual performances in World Cup tournaments in general.
Messi had already been regarded as one of the greatest ever football players before this, but his performance just further cemented his status as a legend in football. Even at the age of 39 years, the football legend keeps breaking records and doing well in monumental matches.