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Before Messi, only Guillermo Stábile had scored eight goals for Argentina in a single FIFA World Cup edition, achieving the feat during the inaugural tournament in 1930
Lionel Messi becomes 2nd player to score 8 goals in one edition of FIFA World Cup for Argentina. (Picture Credit: AP)
Lionel Messi is leading Argentina in FIFA World Cup 2026 and, on Tuesday (July 7), during their Round of 16 match against Egypt at Atlanta Stadium, he scored one goal in their 3-2 win. Messi, who missed a penalty in the 21st minute of the match, scored the second goal for Argentina in the 83rd minute. The goal against Egypt was his eighth in this year’s FIFA World Cup and his 21st overall in the tournament’s history.
By extending his tally to eight goals in FIFA World Cup 2026, Messi has taken the No. 1 position in the Golden Boot race in this year’s tournament. He has scored at least one goal in each of Argentina’s five matches.
The eight goals by Messi also helped him equal the record for the most goals scored by an Argentine player in a single edition of the FIFA World Cup.
Before Messi, Guillermo Stábile had also scored eight goals for Argentina in the 1930 edition of the FIFA World Cup.
The overall record for the most goals scored in one edition of the FIFA World Cup is held by France’s Just Fontaine. Fontaine played six matches for France in the 1958 edition and scored 13 goals.
In the list of players with the most goals in one edition of the FIFA World Cup, Fontaine is followed by Hungary’s Sándor Kocsis. Kocsis played five matches for Hungary in the 1954 edition and scored 11 goals.
In the 1970 edition of the FIFA World Cup, West Germany’s legendary forward Gerd Müller scored 10 goals, but his team failed to qualify for the final.
The overall record for the most goals scored in one edition of the FIFA World Cup by a South American footballer is held by Ademir. Ademir represented Brazil in the 1950 FIFA World Cup and scored nine goals.
In FIFA World Cup 2026, Messi scored a hat-trick in Argentina’s first Group J match against Algeria and found the back of the net twice against Austria in the second match. He came off the bench in Argentina’s third Group J match against Jordan and scored one goal.
In Argentina’s Round of 32 match against Cape Verde, the 39-year-old scored his team’s first goal in the first half.
About the Author
Harshit Bisht is a sports journalist at CNN-News18, where he has been covering cricket, football, and major sporting events from around the world since July 1, 2024. Driven by a passion for storytelli…Read More
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