Lionel Messi World Cup stats: Goals, assists, records and 2026 World Cup milestones

Few individuals have influenced the sporting world in the same way as Lionel Messi, with the Argentine reaching the pinnacle of the game in 2022 by finally lifting the World Cup.

Now 38, Messi is heading into what many expect to be his final World Cup, giving him one last opportunity to add to an already extraordinary legacy on football's biggest stage.

With 26 appearances, two finals, two Golden Balls and one World Cup triumph to his name, few players in history can rival Messi's impact at the sport's most prestigious tournament.

Sports Mole presents a full breakdown of his World Cup statistics, the records he has set along the way and the ones he is close to breaking.

How many goals has Lionel Messi scored at the World Cup?

Messi made his World Cup debut in 2006, with the fresh-faced teenager coming off the bench during Argentina's second group-stage match against Serbia & Montenegro.

As it turns out, this was a debut to remember, with Messi not only setting up Hernan Crespo for Argentina’s fourth goal of the game but also scoring himself to make it 6-0.

The South American side were eliminated in the quarter-final stage, but Messi had undoubtedly made his mark with a string of promising performances.

The 2010 edition was a lot less memorable for Messi, who failed to score a single goal as his side were once again dumped out in the quarters - this time following a thumping loss to Germany.

Four years later, Messi returned to the World Cup as Argentina captain and led from the front, scoring four goals and winning the Golden Ball award as the tournament's best player.

Argentina reached the final, but Messi's dream of World Cup glory was once again denied by Germany, who claimed the trophy thanks to Mario Gotze's extra-time winner.

After coming so close in Brazil, expectations were high as the World Cup headed to Russia in 2018.

However, there was more heartbreak for Messi, who scored just one goal as his men were eliminated in the round-of-16 - the earliest that Argentina had ever been dumped out.

It was not until 2022 that Messi finally got his breakthrough. An iconic World Cup run saw him score seven goals and produce three assists, going on to lift the trophy that eluded him for so long.

Lionel Messi World Cup records

Messi’s career is one giant record book, and it includes several highlights from the FIFA World Cup.

For instance, when making his debut in 2006, Messi became the youngest player at that time to ever represent his nation at a World Cup - donning the famous jersey at just 18 years and 358 days old.

Finding the back of the net in that game also made him Argentina’s youngest World Cup goal scorer and the seventh-youngest goal scorer in World Cup history - a record that is held by Pele, who was 17 and 239 days old when rattling the net in 1958.

Fast forward to the 2022 edition of the tournament, Messi’s semi-final goal against Croatia made him Argentina's all-time leading World Cup goalscorer.

In terms of appearances, nobody has played more matches at the World Cup than Messi, who has 26 caps to his name - one more than Germany’s Lothar Matthaus and four ahead of Cristiano Ronaldo.

When it comes to minutes, Messi outranked Paolo Maldini for the most time on the pitch, with 2,314 being his total ahead of the 2026 edition.

Messi is also the only man to register an assist in five World Cups, with his closest challengers Pele, Grzegorz Lato, Diego Maradona and David Beckham setting up goals in three editions apiece.

Lionel Messi 2026 World Cup goals

The expanded 48-team format of the 2026 World Cup means more matches and, with them, more opportunities for Messi to add to his already remarkable tally of goals, assists and records.

During Argentina’s qualifying campaign for the tournament, Messi topped the goalscoring charts with eight strikes to his name.

The Inter Miami superstar is one appearance away from reaching the 200 mark for Argentina - something he will be looking to achieve this summer.

He has also scored 117 international goals for his nation, making him the country’s all-time leading goalscorer and most-capped player.

Should he rattle the net four more times, Messi would become the all-time leading World Cup goalscorer - ahead of current leader Miroslaw Klose.

In truth, there are few records left for Messi to chase. Yet if his career has taught the football world anything, it is never to underestimate his ability to reach new heights – even on the sport's grandest stage.