Four players to score goals in six consecutive World Cup matches

Every edition of the quadrennial event presents an opportunity for the footballers to create history.

FIFA World Cup 2022 has not been an event short of records. Cristiano Ronaldo became the first man to score at five FIFA World Cups (2006, 2010, 2014, 2018 and 2022) when he scored a penalty in Portugal’s 3-2 victory over Ghana in Group H. Olivier Giroud also tied the all-time French goal-scoring record with a brace against Australia, in a 4-1 victory, in Group D on the 23rd of November. Similarly, here are four players who've scored in six consecutive FIFA World Cup matches for their countries:

Eusebio (Portugal)

Arguably the greatest player to kick a ball from the Iberian Peninsula, the Mozambique-born Eusebio was belovedly known as "Black Panther" or simply "The King". He has been a footballing icon for both his club Benfica and his country Portugal. Known for his speed and technique, his ferocious right-footed shot, made him a prolific goalscorer, and scored a mammoth 733 goals in 745 matches in his career.

He is considered one of the greatest players of all time by Brazilian legend Pele, who included him in the list of 125 best-living footballers in his 2004 FIFA 100 list. He's perhaps Benfica's greatest-ever player.  

He was the top scorer in the 1966 World Cup, scoring nine goals in six matches for his country. However, he was unable to take to his beloved Portugal to World Cup glory, falling short in a defeat to England 1-2 in the semi-final, where he scored a penalty. That game is still widely remembered as Jogo das Lágrimas (Game of Tears) in Portugal, as found in pictures with Eusebio in tears post-defeat. Penultimately, he leads them to a third-place finish, Portugal's best ever to date.

Paolo Rossi (Italy)

Paolo Rossi, the legendary Italian striker, led Italy to the 1982 FIFA World Cup title, scoring six goals to win the Golden Boot as top goalscorer, besides the Golden Ball for being player of the tournament. 

Rossi is amongst three players, and the only European, to have won all three awards at a World Cup, along with Garrincha in 1962, and Mario Kempes in 1978. 

His miraculous run at the World Cup in Spain, in 1982, allowed him to him win the Ballon d’Or in 1982, as well. Such an incredible sequence of performances for their nation is yet to ever seen or replicated on the World Cup stage ever since. He is in the Italian Hall of Fame and sadly passed away in 2020.

Oleg Salenko (Russia)

Russia's Oleg Salenko was nothing short of a real-life hero for the Russian Federation at the FIFA World Cup in the USA, in 1994. He single-handedly scored five goals for his country in a 6-1 rout of Cameroon, which still is still a World Cup record for the most goals scored in a single game.

Oleg Salenko shared the top-scoring title, with Hristo Stoichkov of Bulgaria with seven goals. Surprisingly, he played only three games as Russia bowed out in the group stages. He also holds another record of being the only player in the history of football to win the golden boot at an Under-20 World Cup and senior World Cup.

Enner Valencia (Ecuador)

Enner Valencia has joined the brethren of stars who've etched their names forever in World Cup history, for scoring six consecutive matches for his country. He joins the esteemed list, described above after scoring a deserved equaliser for Ecuador against their Group A rivals Netherlands, on 25th November 2022.

He's also currently the top scorer in the current World Cup with three goals, having netted a brace against hosts Qatar, in a 2-0 victory in the opener. The Fenerbache striker has been in the form of his career, having contributed with a combined club tally of 13 goals and four assists, this season, leading up to the World Cup.

Hence, his performance though might come out as he looks to lead his side further. surprise to many but isn't at for his side Ecuador. Sadly, the Ecuador captain and Golden Boot leader was stretchered off at the 90th-minute mark, through a knee injury. The Ecuadorian fans will be praying for his quick recovery if they're to proceed any further in the competition.