Lionel Messi equals Miroslav Klose's record with 14th FIFA World Cup knockout appearance

The 39-year-old is also the all-time leading goal scorer on the world stage.

The Argentina national football team are defending their World Cup crown. For their round of 16 contest, they are taking on the Egypt national football team. The Atlanta Stadium is witnessing this interesting outing between these nations.

The group stage run was quite good for La Albiceleste. They won all three of their games and easily marched on to the knockout stage of the mega competition. The Argentines were heavily tested by the debutants Cabo Verde in their round of 32 matchup. The defending champions were pushed to the limits and only managed to win after extra time.

Lionel Messi has played a crucial role for the Argentina national football team. He has scored seven goals in the FIFA World Cup 2026 so far. The 39-year-old is in the Golden Boot race alongside Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland. Messi continues to break records and achieve new heights in football. He is also the top goal-getter in the flagship competition.

Also Read: List of all nations qualified for quarter-finals of FIFA World Cup 2026

Another record by Lionel Messi

The 39-year-old is now making his 14th appearance in a FIFA World Cup knockout match. With this, he has equalled the record set by Miroslav Klose for the most appearances in the knockout stage by any player in the history of the flagship tournament.

If Argentina progresses further from here, then Lionel Messi will be able to set a new record. He also became the oldest player to score a hat-trick in the FIFA World Cup after a brilliant performance against Algeria during the group stage run.

Messi has been one of the most consistent players for the Argentina national football team during their ongoing campaign on the world stage.

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