How many World Cup goals Lionel Messi could score as Argentina legend breaks new record in Jordan victory

Argentina superstar Lionel Messi broke yet different World Cup grounds arsenic the champions capped disconnected a cleanable radical signifier with a 3-1 triumph implicit Jordan on Saturday evening.

The 39-year-old had already achieved the astir notable idiosyncratic feat imaginable successful North America, becoming the World Cup's highest scorer of each time acknowledgment to his brace against Austria.

Messi surpassed long-standing record-holder Miroslav Klose with his 17th and 18th goals connected matchday two, which ensured Argentina's progression to the knockout rounds.

Argentina manager Lionel Scaloni truthful decided to remainder Messi from the archetypal whistle against already-eliminated Jordan, with 1 oculus connected adjacent Friday's last-32 clash with debutants Cape Verde.

La Albiceleste were unsurprisingly good without the eight-time Ballon d'Or winner, arsenic Giovani Lo Celso opened the scoring with a fabulous escaped footwear earlier Lautaro Martinez's punishment doubled their lead.

Lionel Messi scores successful seventh consecutive World Cup game

Jordan threatened an almighty comeback successful the 55th infinitesimal erstwhile Mousa Tamari recovered the backmost of the nett connected the stretch, but Scaloni past decided to present Messi successful a triple alteration successful the 2nd half.

The Barcelona fable made his beingness felt soon after, emulating Lo Celso by firing location an exquisite debased escaped footwear from 25 yards successful the 80th minute.

By virtuousness of scoring his sixth extremity of the 2026 World Cup - and 19th all-time astatine the Mundial - Messi became the archetypal antheral successful past to people successful 7 consecutive appearances astatine the competition.

The 39-year-old recovered the backmost of the nett against each of Australia, Netherlands, Croatia and France successful the knockout rounds of the 2022 competition, earlier firing location against Algeria and Austria earlier this year.

Messi past drew a blank astatine the World Cup during Argentina's 2-0 group-stage triumph implicit Poland; helium has different either scored oregon assisted successful each of his past 12 games successful the competition.

How galore World Cup goals could Lionel Messi score?

Working nether the presumption that Argentina and Messi advancement to the semi-finals and truthful play 5 much games successful full - including a last oregon third-placed playoff - the 39-year-old could perchance discontinue with a staggering 29 World Cup goals to his name.

With six strikes from 3 games truthful far, Messi is averaging 2 goals per crippled astatine the 2026 World Cup; if helium plays 5 much games astatine his existent scoring rate, 10 much volition alert into the backmost of the net.

However, taking Messi's wide World Cup scoring complaint into relationship - 19 goals successful 29 games, an mean of 0.65 per lucifer - the Argentine icon would people a full of 9 goals successful this year's competition, and 22 overall.

Nine goals would besides beryllium capable for Messi to triumph the Golden Boot successful each World Cup since 1970, erstwhile Gerd Muller struck 10 times for West Germany

The Inter Miami attacker has ne'er won the World Cup Golden Boot, though helium claimed the Golden Ball for the champion subordinate successful some 2014 and 2022.