There is a moment in sport when statistics stop being numbers and start being poetry. Lionel Messi reached that moment last Monday in Arlington, Texas, and the world stopped to watch.
With a curled left-foot finish in the 38th minute against Austria — followed by a scrappy, determined rebound goal deep in stoppage time — Messi became the highest goal scorer in the history of the FIFA World Cup. Not just among men. Among everyone. His 17th and 18th tournament goals moved him past Germany legend Miroslav Klose, past Brazil’s women’s icon Marta, and into territory that no player, male or female, has ever occupied before.
He is 38 years old. He is doing this right now.
From Hat-Trick to History
The record-breaking run began before most Canadians had even settled into their World Cup viewing routines. In Argentina’s tournament opener against Algeria on June 16, Messi produced a hat-trick — his first ever at a World Cup — to tie Klose’s long-standing record of 16 goals. At 38 years and 357 days, Messi became the oldest hat-trick scorer in World Cup history, surpassing Cristiano Ronaldo, who was 33 when he scored a treble against Spain in 2018.
Six days later against Austria, he did it again. Messi entered that match on 16 goals and missed a penalty in the ninth minute, which briefly denied him the outright record. But the miss only made what came next more dramatic. He curled home from a cutback in the 38th minute, then added a late second in the 2-0 win, taking his all-time total to 18.
Five goals in two games. Eighteen in six World Cups. The record is his.
What the Numbers Mean
To understand the scale of what Messi has achieved, consider the career it took to get here. Messi scored his first World Cup goal on June 16, 2006, at 18 years old, against Serbia and Montenegro. Twenty years later, he continues to break records as the first player to feature in six different editions of a men’s World Cup.
He is also the second man in World Cup history to score four or more goals in three different editions of the tournament, after Miroslav Klose, who did it in 2002, 2006 and 2010. And remarkably, he has joined Roger Milla as the only men to score four or more goals in a single World Cup aged 38 or older.
His teammates have run out of words. “If anyone thought this group was better off without Leo,” said midfielder Alexis Mac Allister after the Austria win, “today it became clear that Leo is the most important of them all.”
The Mbappé Chase
The record may not be safe for long. Kylian Mbappé now has 16 career World Cup goals, sitting second all-time behind only Messi’s 18. The French captain is still very much in this tournament, and with France looking like genuine contenders, the gap could narrow quickly.
But for now, Messi leads, and the question is how many more he can add before his final World Cup comes to a close.
Why Canadians Should Care
Beyond the spectacle, there is a practical reason for Canadian soccer fans to pay close attention to Messi’s form: Argentina are potential opponents deep in this tournament. The defending world champions have won all their group matches, conceded zero goals, and look every bit like the team to beat.
If Canada navigates their way through the round of 32 and beyond, Messi and Argentina could be waiting. Understanding what they are facing — a 38-year-old playing the soccer of his life, surrounded by a squad of world-class talent — is not just interesting. It is essential.
Watch tonight’s Argentina vs. Jordan at 10 p.m. ET on TSN. Messi will almost certainly be on the pitch. If recent form is any guide, history may be made again.