Lionel Messi Breaks Pele's Record Of Most Goal Contributions In FIFA World Cup Knockout Matches

Last Updated:July 04, 2026, 04:42 IST

Pelé was directly involved in 11 goals for Brazil in FIFA World Cup knockout matches, scoring eight times and registering three assists.

Lionel Messi, who is leading Argentina at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, entered the history books on Friday (Saturday IST) by breaking Pelé’s record for the most goal contributions in FIFA World Cup knockout matches during Argentina’s Round of 32 clash against Cape Verde in Miami.

The 39-year-old opened the scoring in the 29th minute to give Argentina a 1-0 lead. The goal was Messi’s 12th goal contribution in FIFA World Cup knockout matches, taking him past Pelé’s long-standing record of 11. Messi has now scored six goals and provided six assists in World Cup knockout fixtures.

Pelé was directly involved in 11 goals for Brazil in FIFA World Cup knockout matches, scoring eight times and registering three assists.

France’s Kylian Mbappé, who scored a hat-trick in the 2022 FIFA World Cup final, has also been involved in 11 goals in FIFA World Cup knockout matches. He has scored nine goals and provided two assists in the knockout stage of the tournament.

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Harshit BishtSenior Sub-editor

Harshit Bisht is a sports journalist at CNN-News18, where he has been covering cricket, football, and major sporting events from around the world since July 1, 2024. Driven by a passion for storytelli...Read More

News sports football Lionel Messi Breaks Pele's Record Of Most Goal Contributions In FIFA World Cup Knockout Matches

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