Lionel Messi Creates History, Becomes 2nd Player In The World To...

Last Updated:June 23, 2026, 00:02 IST

In addition to becoming the highest goalscorer in FIFA World Cup history on Monday (June 22), Messi also became the second player to score in six consecutive World Cup matches

Argentina’s Lionel Messi entered his name in the history books on Monday (June 22) by becoming the second player in the world to score in six consecutive FIFA World Cup matches. The 38-year-old Argentine scored his fourth goal of the ongoing FIFA World Cup 2026 in the 39th minute of Argentina’s Group J match against Austria at AT&T Stadium in Arlington. The strike was his 17th goal in FIFA World Cup history, taking him to the top of the all-time goalscoring charts.

In addition to becoming the highest goalscorer in FIFA World Cup history, Messi also became the first player to score in six consecutive World Cup matches. The Argentine captain, who is the most-capped player in FIFA World Cup history, has found the back of the net in each of his last six World Cup appearances.

During Argentina’s final four matches at the FIFA World Cup 2022, Messi scored once each against Australia, the Netherlands and Croatia in the knockout stage before netting twice in the final against France at Lusail Stadium on December 18, 2022.

At the FIFA World Cup 2026, he scored a hat-trick against Algeria on June 16 and has added another goal in the ongoing match against Austria.

Lionel Messi’s performance in last six FIFA World Cup matches for Argentina

In the 1958 FIFA World Cup, France striker Just Fontaine also scored in six consecutive matches. During that tournament, Fontaine netted twice in each of France’s first two Group 2 matches against Paraguay and Yugoslavia. He then scored once against Scotland in the third Group 2 match and added a brace in the quarter-final against Northern Ireland.

France lost 2-5 to Brazil in the semi-final, but Fontaine was on the scoresheet in that match as well. He then scored four goals against West Germany in the third-place playoff to finish the tournament with a remarkable tally of 13 goals in six matches.

Hungary’s György Sárosi is another player to have enjoyed a lengthy scoring streak at the FIFA World Cup, having found the net in five consecutive matches. He scored once in Hungary’s quarter-final defeat to Austria at the 1934 World Cup and then netted at least one goal in each of Hungary’s four matches at the 1938 edition.

About the Author

Harshit BishtSenior Sub-editor

Harshit Bisht is a sports journalist with CNN-News18 since July 1, 2024, and covers cricket with a sharp eye for records, trends, and match analysis. Based in Noida, he has reported extensively on the...Read More

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