Messi scores in fifth World Cup to equal Ronaldo's record as Argentina beat Algeria

Lionel Messi etched his name deeper into World Cup history on Tuesday, scoring Argentina’s opener against Algeria at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City to become only the second player ever to find the net at five separate World Cups — joining Cristiano Ronaldo, who achieved the feat in 2022.

Messi, making his record sixth World Cup appearance, found a gap in the Algerian defence and beat goalkeeper Luca Zidane to put the defending champions 1-0 up, sending a packed blue-and-white crowd into delirium. A goal moments earlier had been ruled out for offside. The strike was his 14th at the tournament, drawing him level with Kylian Mbappé — who scored twice in France’s 3-1 win over Senegal earlier the same evening — and West Germany legend Gerd Müller in third place on the all-time list. Miroslav Klose holds the record with 16 goals, one ahead of Brazil’s Ronaldo.

The goal arrived exactly 20 years to the day that Messi made his World Cup debut against Serbia and Montenegro, and it came in his 200th international appearance for Argentina — a milestone that places him third on the all-time caps list behind Ronaldo (229 appearances) and Kuwait’s Bader Al-Mutawa.

Messi, who turns 39 next week, had been managing a minor hamstring complaint with Inter Miami in the weeks before the tournament. He showed no ill effects, however, having already scored a penalty in a 20-minute run-out against Iceland the previous week.

Ronaldo, meanwhile, is set to play in his sixth World Cup on Wednesday when Portugal face Congo, giving him the chance to extend his own record of scoring in five editions of the tournament.

Thousands of fans in Messi’s No. 10 jersey descended on the home of the NFL’s Kansas City Chiefs for the occasion, underlining the scale of anticipation that has surrounded Argentina’s arrival in the city.