Lionel Messi’s sixth World Cup ended the way few would have scripted: agonisingly close, but without the trophy. Argentina lost 1–0 after extra time to Spain in the final at MetLife Stadium on 19 July, Ferran Torres scoring in the 106th minute after a goalless 90. Messi still leaves the tournament, and international football, as one of its greatest-ever scorers: 8 goals and 4 assists in 2026 took his career World Cup tally to 21, second all-time behind only Kylian Mbappé’s 22, and passing Miroslav Klose’s long-standing 16 along the way.
Lionel Messi’s World Cup career, by the numbers
No player has stood across this many categories the way Messi now does.
| Record | Detail |
|---|---|
| World Cups played | 6 (2006–2026): first man ever |
| World Cup goals | 21: second all-time, one behind Mbappé (22) |
| Tournaments scored in | 5 of 6 (all but 2010) |
| Argentina caps | 200+ |
| 2026 World Cup | 8 goals, 4 assists: Golden Boot runner-up; lost the final |
Six World Cups, one of one
Messi’s run to a sixth World Cup, opening with a hat trick against Algeria in June, matched a feat no other player has managed. Along the way he also passed 200 caps for Argentina. That hat trick made him just the second man to score at five different World Cups, and he added to his tally through the rest of the tournament before Argentina fell in the final.
Messi’s goals at every World Cup
From a teenager in 2006 to a two-time finalist bowing out at 39, here is how Messi built his way to 21.
| Tournament | Goals | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 2006 | 1 | Scored on debut v Serbia & Montenegro |
| 2010 | 0 | – |
| 2014 | 4 | Golden Ball; lost the final |
| 2018 | 1 | – |
| 2022 | 7 | Won the World Cup; Golden Ball |
| 2026 | 8 | Golden Boot runner-up; lost the final |
| Total | 21 | Second all-time (Mbappé leads with 22) |
The eternal GOAT bows out
Messi played the milestone down during the tournament: “they are stats and nothing more,” he said after the Algeria hat trick. His manager Lionel Scaloni had no such restraint: “At a loss for words about Leo. What can I say? He’s incredible.” Messi leaves international football with the 2022 World Cup already won, a second final reached in 2026, and only Kylian Mbappé ahead of him on the all-time scoring list. Read the full picture in the all-time World Cup top scorers and see how Kylian Mbappé claimed the record.
Six (2006–2026). He is the first player in history to appear at six World Cups.
Twenty-one. He is second on the all-time list behind Kylian Mbappé’s 22, after finishing his international career at the 2026 World Cup.
Yes. Messi captained Argentina to the 2022 World Cup in Qatar and won the Golden Ball. He returned in 2026 and reached a second final, losing 1-0 to Spain after extra time.
He turned 39 during the tournament, on 24 June 2026. His hat trick against Algeria that month made him the oldest player to score three goals in a World Cup match.
Records correct as of the final whistle at the 2026 World Cup, 19 July 2026.