Messi's Historic World Cup Streak Sets Guinness Record

Argentina captain Lionel Messi has officially secured a new Guinness World Record by becoming the first player in football history to score in eight consecutive FIFA World Cup matches.

The 39-year-old superstar achieved the unprecedented feat during Argentina's thrilling 3-2 extra-time victory over debutants Cape Verde in the Round of 32 on Friday night. Messi broke the deadlock in the 29th minute at the Miami Stadium, beautifully controlling a long pass from defender Lisandro Martinez before lifting it over the Cape Verde goalkeeper.

Prior to Messi’s historic run, the official record for the longest World Cup scoring streak was six consecutive matches, jointly held by two of football's greatest legends:

• Just Fontaine (France) – Achieved during his iconic 1958 World Cup campaign.

• Jairzinho (Brazil) – Achieved during Brazil's famous 1970 title-winning run.

Messi initially equaled their record of six games during the group stage against Austria, before breaking it entirely by scoring as a substitute against Jordan to make it seven. His first-half strike against Cape Verde has now extended that record to an astonishing eight consecutive games.

Messi’s historic scoring streak spans across two editions of the tournament, beginning with Argentina’s triumphant run at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar and carrying into the ongoing 2026 World Cup in North America. Over these eight games, the Inter Miami star has found the back of the net 12 times.

The record-breaking run includes scoring one goal against Australia in the Round of 16, one against the Netherlands in the Quarter-finals, one against Croatia in the Semi-finals, and two goals against France in the 2022 Final. He continued this flawless form in the 2026 edition by netting one goal against Algeria, two against Austria, one against Jordan during the group stage, and his latest strike against Cape Verde in the Round of 32.

Despite suffering a noticeable welt over his right eye following a heavy physical collision during Friday's match, the veteran forward remained completely focused on the reigning champions' progression to the Round of 16.

"It hurts a little but I’m good," Messi stated in his post-match press conference. "We did good things, and we have to correct the bad things. As this team has demonstrated many times, it competes. And we competed to the end."

With this 8-game scoring streak and a record-extending 20 career World Cup goals, Messi cements his legacy as the most consistent big-stage performer in football history, keeping Argentina's hopes of defending their world title firmly alive.