Lionel Messi continues to make history in the World Cup during Argentina’s 3-2 victory over Cape Verde in their Round of 32 match at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, Florida, on Friday evening.
The Inter Miami star has now scored in a record-extending eighth consecutive World Cup match when he found the back of the net right before the half-hour mark for the match’s first goal. Messi also has a five-game scoring streak in knockout matches, making him the first player to do so since 1962, per ESPN Insights.
That brings Messi’s total to 20 World Cup goals, and 14 of them have come after he turned 35. For context, all other players aged 35 or older have combined for 25 goals in the World Cup.
But his most important goal involvement came deep in added extra time, as Cristian Romero (counted as Diney’s own goal) headed home Messi’s corner to clinch the 3-2 win against Cape Verde. The 39-year-old forward now has the most assists in World Cup history with nine.
MORE: Watch Lionel Messi become World Cup all-time leading scorer
Lionel Messi reflects on Argentina’s pulsating victory against Cape Verde
After receiving his FIFA Man of the Match award for his all-around performance, Lionel Messi heaped praise on Cape Verde’s improbable journey to this year’s World Cup knockouts.
“We already knew this was going to be a very difficult match. It wasn’t a coincidence that this team didn’t lose to Spain or Uruguay,” Messi told reporters. “These are knockout matches, nobody gives you anything for free.”
“Some people might underestimate certain teams… But we knew this was never going to be an easy match. That’s what makes this World Cup so special. Everything is incredibly close, and every single game is extremely difficult,” he continued.
Argentina are set to face Egypt, who eliminated Australia via penalties earlier today, in the Round of 16 on Tuesday at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia.
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