Messi Equals Record for Most Free-Kick Goals in World Cup History

It was only a matter of time before Lionel Messi stamped his authority on Argentina’s final group-stage fixture against Jordan at the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Stepping off the bench in the second half, the Argentine captain curled a magnificent free-kick from the edge of the box, sending the ball around a dense human wall and burying it perfectly into the bottom corner. The sublime strike extended Argentina's lead to 3-1, marking Messi's sixth goal of the tournament and extending his all-time World Cup scoring record to a staggering 19 goals.

Beyond consolidating his Golden Boot lead, Messi's stunning set-piece unlocked an exclusive historical milestone. With this brilliant execution—replicating his famous 2014 set-piece exploit against Nigeria—Messi now holds the record for the most direct free-kick goals in World Cup history, joining an elite group of just four players to score multiple free-kicks on the global stage.

By converting from the spot, Messi stands level at the absolute peak of the tournament's all-time dead-ball specialists alongside three other footballing icons.

Lionel Messi achieved the milestone with goals against Nigeria in 2014 and Jordan in 2026. David Beckham holds his share of the record with memorable strikes for England against Colombia in 1998 and Ecuador in 2006. Brazil's Rivellino set the early benchmark with conversions in 1990 and 1974, including his famous atomic kick against Czechoslovakia. French midfielder Bernard Genghini rounds out the historic quartet, having executed two flawless set-pieces against Kuwait and Austria during the 1982 tournament in Spain.

With Argentina comfortably routing Group J to set up a highly anticipated Round of 32 clash against Cape Verde, Messi's deadly form from dead-ball situations provides the reigning world champions with yet another lethal tactical dimension in their quest to defend the crown.