Argentine superstar Lionel Messi celebrated his 39th birthday.
He has already scored 5 goals in the first two matches of the FIFA World Cup 2026.
With 4 more goals, he will break the record of Ronaldo and Mbappé.
Messi is now targeting the 68-year-old record of France's Just Fontaine.
Buenos Aires | Argentina's legendary footballer and one of the greatest players in the world, Lionel Messi, is celebrating his 39th birthday today. On this special occasion, he is adding new chapters to the history books with his performance in the FIFA World Cup 2026. Defying age, Messi is appearing in a completely different form.
Messi's 39th Birthday and a Flurry of Records
Lionel Messi has celebrated his 39th birthday with his extraordinary game on the field. His start to the FIFA World Cup 2026 has been explosive. He made headlines by scoring his first World Cup hat-trick against Algeria in the very first match of the tournament.
His brilliant form continued after that. With his performance, he has proven that age is just a number for him and he is still far ahead of young players.
Stunning Performance Against Austria
In the second group match, Messi scored two more goals against Austria. With these two goals, not only did Argentina register a magnificent victory, but Messi also achieved a historic milestone. He has become the highest goal-scorer in the history of the FIFA World Cup.
In this regard, he broke the record of 16 goals held by Germany's Miroslav Klose. Now, Messi has a total of 18 goals in the World Cup, which is a new record. In the match against Austria, he made 71 touches, the most by a striker over the age of 30 in a World Cup match since 1966.
Record for Most Goals in a Single Edition in Sight
After becoming the all-time top scorer in World Cup history, Messi's eyes are now on the record for the most goals in a single edition. He has already scored five goals in just two matches of the current tournament.
If he scores four more goals, his total will be 9 goals. By doing so, he will surpass the records of France's Kylian Mbappé (8 goals, 2022) and Brazil's Ronaldo (8 goals, 2002).
Will the 68-Year-Old Record Be Broken?
The biggest challenge for Messi is to break a massive 68-year-old record. The record for the most goals in a single edition of the World Cup is held by the great French player Just Fontaine.
Fontaine scored an incredible 13 goals in the 1958 World Cup. This record has remained unbroken for many decades.
Football pundits believe that, "Given the form Messi is in, no record seems safe. His hunger and passion for scoring goals are the same as ever."
The way Messi has started this tournament, if he continues his performance, he could also break this historic record of Fontaine. For this, he will need to score 9 more goals.
A Unique Feat of Scoring Consecutively for the Team
Messi has scored all five goals for Argentina in this tournament himself. With this, he has become only the second player in World Cup history to score his country's first five goals in a single edition.
Previously, this feat was achieved by Russia's Oleg Salenko in 1994. This statistic highlights his importance to the team. Now, Argentina's next match is against Jordan on June 28, where all eyes will once again be on Messi.
Instead of celebrating his birthday with a party, Lionel Messi is creating history on the field. His goal is not just to break individual records but to win another World Cup title for Argentina. Fans around the world are excited to see if this great player can reach these incredible heights at this stage of his career.
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