Lionel Messi continued his remarkable FIFA World Cup scoring streak on Saturday, finding the net for an unprecedented eighth straight match as Argentina edged past spirited debutants Cape Verde in a dramatic Round of 32 encounter in Miami. The Argentine skipper broke the deadlock in the 29th minute, registering the 20th World Cup goal of his illustrious career. The strike further strengthened his position as the tournament's all-time leading scorer, putting him two goals clear of France star Kylian Mbappe.
Messi's early finish set the tone for a thrilling contest that eventually required extra time, with defending champions Argentina surviving a major scare to seal a hard-fought 3-2 victory.
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The 39-year-old has now scored seven times at the ongoing World Cup, moving one goal ahead of Mbappe in the race for the Golden Boot. His latest effort also took his tally to an astonishing 12 goals across Argentina's last eight World Cup matches.
All the records set by Messi against Cape Verde
On Saturday, the Argentine captain became the first player in FIFA World Cup history, men's or women's, to reach 20 career goals at the tournament. He is the first player in the history of the sport to score at least seven goals in two different World Cups after previously reaching the same mark in 2022.
{{/usCountry}}On Saturday, the Argentine captain became the first player in FIFA World Cup history, men's or women's, to reach 20 career goals at the tournament. He is the first player in the history of the sport to score at least seven goals in two different World Cups after previously reaching the same mark in 2022.
{{/usCountry}}Messi now boasts 12 direct goal contributions in World Cup knockout matches, six goals and six assists, which happens to be the highest tally recorded over the past six decades, moving him ahead of both Pelé and Mbappé.
He has now also been directly involved in 10 goals across his last six knockout appearances, producing six goals and four assists while scoring in each of his previous five knockout matches. Moreover, he is only the third player to score in five consecutive World Cup knockout games, joining Hungary's György Sárosi and Brazil's Vavá.
At 39 years and nine days old, Messi on Saturday became the third-oldest player to score in a World Cup knockout match, behind only Cristiano Ronaldo and Brazil's Pepe.
Messi is one goal away from equalling Guillermo Stábile's record of eight goals in a single World Cup for Argentina, set in 1930, and needs two more to match Ademir's South American men's record of nine goals at one tournament, achieved for Brazil in 1950.
With the win over Cape Verde, Argentina advanced to the Round of 16, where they will next take on Egypt.