Messi sets an astonishing World Cup mark that may never be matched
Messi makes history by breaking a World Cup record with a 20-year span between his first and most recent tournament goals.
Lionel Messi has once again written his name into the history books of the FIFA World Cup. The Argentina captain set a new all-time record by registering the longest gap between a player’s first and most recent World Cup goals: exactly 20 years.
Messi opens the scoring against Algeria
The milestone was completed on June 16, 2026, when Messi scored against Algeria at the 2026 World Cup, exactly two decades after netting his first World Cup goal on June 16, 2006, against Serbia and Montenegro during the tournament in Germany.
According to data compiled by Spanish statistician MisterChip, no player had previously recorded such a lengthy span between their first and last goals on soccer’s biggest international stage.
The previous record was shared by several legendary figures in the sport, but all now trail well behind the new mark set by the Argentine star. The all-time list is as follows:
- Lionel Messi (Argentina): 20 years, 0 days (2006-2026)
- Miroslav Klose (Germany): 12 years, 40 days (2002-2014)
- Michael Laudrup (Denmark): 12 years, 19 days (1986-1998)
- Uwe Seeler (Germany): 12 years, 9 days (1958-1970)
- Diego Maradona (Argentina): 12 years, 6 days (1982-1994)
- Pelé (Brazil): 12 years, 5 days (1958-1970)
The achievement highlights Messi’s extraordinary longevity at the highest level of the game. Across five World Cups and two decades of international competition, he has remained one of the sport’s elite performers, continuing to make history long after many of his contemporaries have retired.
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