- Joined
- May 8, 2002
- Posts
- 1,195,136
- Reaction score
- 59
You must be registered for see images attach
Lionel Messi at the World Cup over the years.
Credit: Chris McGrath/Getty; Chris Brunskill/Fantasista/Getty; Ulrik Pedersen/NurPhoto via Getty
There is a reason why Lionel Messi is considered one of the best soccer players of his generation.
The Argentinian soccer star has played in six World Cups and helped lead his team to the title when they won the entire tournament in 2022. Over the years, he has reached several milestones during the global competition, including becoming the first player to win the World Cup Golden Ball twice.
The captain returned to the World Cup in June 2026, and although it’s still underway, he’s already made history. After scoring his record-breaking World Cup goal and setting a new bar for scorers, his wife, Antonela Roccuzzo, celebrated the milestone in an Instagram post.
“What a privilege to see you make history again and again,” Roccuzzo wrote. “I love you @lionelmessi!!!”
Here’s a look back at every World Cup Lionel Messi has played in.
01 of 06
2006
You must be registered for see images attach
Lionel Messi fights for the ball with Mexican defender Ricardo Osorio during the World Cup 2006
Credit: PATRIK STOLLARZ / AFP via Getty
Messi made his tournament debut for Argentina at the 2006 World Cup, which took place in Germany.
That year, Messi helped his team reach the quarterfinals. He also scored his first World Cup goal in Argentina’s 6–0 group-stage victory over Serbia and Montenegro.
02 of 06
2010
You must be registered for see images attach
Lionel Messi during the 2010 FIFA World Cup
Credit: Michael Mayhew/Sportsphoto/Allstar via Getty
Though Messi made no goals at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, he remained one of Argentina’s valued players.
Argentina made it all the way to the quarterfinals again, though were ultimately eliminated from the competition after suffering a 4-0 defeat against Germany.
03 of 06
2014
You must be registered for see images attach
Lionel Messi of Argentina in action during the FIFA World Cup 2014
Messi delivered one of his best performances at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. There, he made four goals and advanced with his team all the way to the finals, Argentina’s first time making it that far in the competition since 1990.
However, Germany proved to be a difficult team to beat once again as they were the ones who took Argentina out of the tournament with a 1-0 score. Though Messi didn’t win the World Cup that year, he was named best player and awarded the Golden Ball.
04 of 06
2018
You must be registered for see images attach
Lionel Messi during the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia
Credit: Ian MacNicol/Getty
Messi made one goal and had two assists at the 2018 World Cup held in Russia. He scored the opening goal in Argentina’s game against Nigeria, which ultimately helped his team advance in the games.
However, Argentina struggled at the tournament that year. They reached the round of 16, where they were eliminated by France, who won the title that year.
05 of 06
2022
You must be registered for see images attach
Lionel Messi holds the FIFA World Cup Trophy in 2022
Credit: ANNE-CHRISTINE POUJOULAT/AFP via Getty
2022 was a big year for Argentina. They won the World Cup in Qatar and Messi was awarded the Golden Ball once again.
Throughout the competition, the soccer star scored seven goals, two of which were also in Argentina’s final game against France.
06 of 06
2026
You must be registered for see images attach
Lionel Messi at the 2026 World Cup
Credit: Tom Weller/picture alliance via Getty
Messi returned for the 2026 World Cup, which is being hosted by 16 different cities in the United States, Mexico and Canada.
Ahead of the competition, the soccer player spoke to ESPN about returning to the World Cup following their 2022 victory, saying, “Argentina needs to take advantage of this moment.”
“Coming off winning the World Cup gives you confidence and relief to prepare competitions differently,” he added.
The team started off strong by defeating Algeria 3-0 in their opening match game, during which Messi scored all three goals. While the tournament is still underway, Messi has scored seven total goals in the first four games.
Read the original article on People
Continue reading...
