Messi wears a one-of-a-kind jersey at the 2026 World Cup

Lionel Messi is competing in the 2026 World Cup with a jersey that no other player can wear: four distinct badges sewn onto his Albiceleste shirt, reflecting an unparalleled record in the history of the tournament.

The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner, 38, accumulates distinctions that FIFA reserves for very specific categories of players. The first badge is common to reigning world champions; the second distinguishes nations that have already won a World Cup. So far, several Argentine players share these two emblems.

It is the combination of the following two that makes Messi’s jersey absolutely unique. The “Legacy” logo is awarded to players who have participated in at least five World Cups — a handful of elite in all of football history. The “MVP” logo, meanwhile, recalls his title as best player of the 2022 edition in Qatar. No other player present in this tournament, nor in any other, brings together these four distinctions simultaneously.

On the pitch, Messi made an immediate impact on the first day of Group J: author of a hat-trick against Algeria (3-0), he approaches the second match against Austria in a position of strength, with Argentina able to secure qualification for the round of 16 as early as Monday evening.