Sports Desk.– Lionel Messi wrote another golden page in the history of football by becoming the main protagonist in Argentina’s qualification for the quarterfinals of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, further consolidating himself as the all-time leading goalscorer in World Cup history.

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The captain of the Albiceleste scored the equalizer against Egypt in the round of 16, a goal that prevented the elimination of the world champions and paved the way for the comeback that culminated in a 3-2 victory.

With that goal, Messi reached 21 goals in the history of the World Cups, extending his lead over Frenchman Kylian Mbappé, who has 19. The Argentine, who is playing in his sixth World Cup, continues to grow a legacy that began on June 16, 2006, when he debuted at just 18 years old and scored his first goal against Serbia and Montenegro.

In addition to leading the all-time top scorer rankings, Messi heads the race for the 2026 World Cup Golden Boot with eight goals, one more than Mbappé and the Norwegian Erling Haaland, both with seven goals.

The only negative aspect of his performance against Egypt was a missed penalty during the first half, the second he has wasted in the current edition and the fourth in his entire World Cup career. However, the mistake did not tarnish a decisive performance that once again placed Argentina among the eight best teams in the tournament.

The goal scored against Egypt also allowed him to set another record by becoming the first footballer to score in six consecutive knockout stage matches in World Cup history.

With Argentina still in the running to defend the title won in Qatar 2022, Messi continues to expand his legacy and reaffirm himself as one of the greatest figures world football has ever produced.