Messi's record-breaking group stage heroics hand Argentina a psychological burden

Lionel Messi’s stunning form at World Cup 2026 has propelled Argentina through the group stage unbeaten, yet it has also handed Scaloni’s side a statistical burden that their own media are already scrutinising.

The 39-year-old came off the bench in the second half of Sunday’s 3-1 Group J victory over Jordan, won a free-kick and then curled it around the wall to beat the goalkeeper — his sixth goal of the tournament. In doing so, Messi became the first player in history to score in seven consecutive World Cup matches, extending his overall World Cup tally to 19 and moving clear of Miroslav Klose’s previous record for goals scored by a single player.

The result completed a perfect nine-point group stage for Argentina, fuelling belief across the country that they could become the first nation to defend the World Cup since Brazil managed the feat in 1962. But Argentina’s largest sports publication, Diario Olé, has moved quickly to temper that optimism.

The outlet highlighted a troubling pattern: no team that has finished the group stage with a perfect record has gone on to win the tournament since that same Brazil side in 1962. Olé argued that a flawless group campaign can create an illusion of dominance, leaving teams vulnerable to a psychological collapse once the knockout rounds begin — and pointed to Argentina’s own opening defeat to Saudi Arabia at Qatar 2022 as a reminder that the World Cup is never decided in the group stage.

The publication’s conclusion was pointed: Messi must now do what he has always done — save his finest performances for the moments that matter most. Argentina face Cape Verde in the newly introduced last-32, with the expectation that the tougher tests will arrive in the quarter-finals and beyond.

Messi has answered that call before. At the 2022 World Cup, he carried Argentina through the knockout rounds with five goals against Australia, the Netherlands, Croatia and France, before lifting the trophy after a penalty shootout in the final. Scaloni and his squad will be hoping their talisman has one more late-tournament surge left in him.