Lionel Messi’s Pursuit of World Cup Goal Record

Lionel Messi is approaching his 39th birthday with ambitions as grand as his past achievements. As the football icon prepares for another milestone, he has set his sights on a remarkable gift: a hat trick and a share in a historic record. In today’s match, Messi surpassed France’s Kylian Mbappé on the World Cup all-time goals leaderboard, after the Real Madrid star scored twice against Senegal earlier.

Messi, who triumphed in a legendary World Cup Final against Mbappé four years ago, once again demonstrated his prowess at the tournament. He netted three goals against Algeria, setting a triumphant tone for the reigning champions as they commenced their campaign. While these goals propelled him to equal Germany’s Miroslav Klose’s record, achieved at the 2014 World Cup, they left Messi tied with 16 goals.

Klose’s record, secured during a semifinal match before defeating Messi’s Argentina in the final, has remained untouched for 12 years. Now, the World Cup has transformed into a thrilling race between Messi and Mbappé, with both expected to continue scoring throughout the summer festivities across North America.

Messi has the chance to claim sole ownership of the record with a 17th goal in the upcoming match against Austria, just days before his birthday. Meanwhile, Mbappé, sitting at 14 goals, will compete against Iraq, hoping to catch up or even surpass Klose’s tally as the tournament progresses.