Лионель Месси и путь к истории забитых голов на чемпионате мира.

When Lionel Messi made his debut for Argentina in August 2005, not many would have predicted the career he has gone on to have, though, such was his talent, one or two might have. On a hot afternoon in Texas, despite being aged 38 and asked to carry his nation once again, he added another record to his name, eclipsing Miroslav Klose’s record to become the highest scorer ever at the World Cup.

He also eclipsed the legendary Marta’s World Cup goalscoring record, making Messi the outright leading goalscorer in World Cup finals history across the men’s and women’s games.

His debut for Argentina was far from perfect, as an 18-year-old Messi was shown a red card just two minutes into his first senior cap against Hungary.

Twenty-one years later, he had the chance to break the record in the ninth minute from the penalty spot, but fluffed his lines, hitting the ball wide. In doing so, it allowed him to make sure he broke the record in true Messi fashion… starting the move, before wandering off into spaces making him hard to mark, before running to the edge of the box to strike into the bottom corner with his left foot, finishing off a well-worked La Albiceleste goal.

It’s a goal that means it’s now six consecutive World Cup matches that the little magician has found the back of the net, following on from his epic run that led Argentina to a third World Cup title.

Messi is playing in his sixth World Cup, a journey that began in Gelsenkirchen in 2006 when he came on as a substitute in a 6-0 victory over Serbia & Montenegro.

Messi would make history on that day as he became Argentina’s youngest-ever World Cup goalscorer. Hernan Crespo and Carlos Tevez played a lovely move before Crespo found Messi, who, with blazing pace, ran past his defender and hit the ball into the net to open his World Cup account.

Four years later, in 2010, Messi and Argentina headed to South Africa to try and lift their first World Cup since 1986, managed by legend Diego Maradona. It was a chaotic time for the South Americans and Messi.

While Messi didn’t manage to find the net in South Africa, he showcased a school of playmaking in a round of 16 match against Mexico, dropping deep to provide a lovely assist for Tevez in a 3-1 victory. He also captained the side at the World Cup for the first time in a 2-0 victory over Greece.

In 2014, on South American soil in Brazil, Messi had a far greater impact in terms of goals, as Argentina reached the final before narrowly suffering defeat to Germany after extra time.

He began the tournament with a goal in a 2-1 victory over Bosnia and Herzegovina before winning the game in the dying embers at the Maracanã in a frustrating 1-0 victory over Iran. The final group match saw Argentina enjoy a 3-2 victory over Nigeria, with Messi scoring a brace.

During the knockout stages, Messi failed to find the net, but he did provide an assist against Switzerland as Argentina reached their first World Cup final since 1990.

The 2018 World Cup cycle was a chaotic time for Argentina. On the final day of qualification, they needed a victory over Ecuador at altitude in Quito to secure their place at the tournament.

Things got off to a terrible start as Romario Ibarra opened the scoring for the Ecuadorians. However, what followed was a masterclass from Messi, who struck a brilliant hat-trick to ensure that both he and Argentina would be heading to Russia.

The struggles Argentina experienced during qualification were there for all to see at the World Cup itself. They drew with Iceland before suffering a 3-0 battering at the hands of Croatia. A narrow 2-1 victory over Nigeria was enough to sneak through to the round of 16, where they were involved in an epic clash with France.

Messi failed to get on the scoresheet but provided two assists in a thrilling 4-3 defeat. As Argentina bowed out in the round of 16, it felt like a disappointing end to their World Cup campaign. However, it would prove to be the beginning of a special period for both the Argentine national team and Messi’s international career.

In 2021, Messi and Argentina lifted the Copa América title with a victory at the Maracanã in Brazil, a historic moment and a huge turning point in the fortunes of the Argentine national side. They had lifted their first major piece of silverware since the 1993 Copa América, ending a 28-year wait for international success.

The Copa América victory would prove to be the catalyst for Argentina’s success. Their qualification campaign for the 2022 World Cup was relatively straightforward compared to the struggles they experienced in 2018.

However, their World Cup campaign began in terrible fashion, as they suffered a shock 2-1 defeat to Saudi Arabia. Messi opened the scoring for the Argentines from the penalty spot, but Saudi Arabia produced a remarkable comeback to claim victory.

Against Mexico, Messi was once again involved, scoring once and providing an assist before Argentina rounded off Group C with a 2-0 victory over Poland.

Against Australia, in a tighter affair, Messi scored the decisive opening goal in a 2-1 victory. Then came a classic quarter-final against the Netherlands. Messi was once again at the heart of everything, contributing a goal and an assist as Argentina appeared to be cruising at 2-0 before the Dutch fought back to force penalties. Argentina eventually prevailed 4-3 in the shootout.

The semi-final proved to be a much more straightforward affair, as Argentina enjoyed a 3-0 victory over Croatia, with Messi registering a goal and an assist to send La Albiceleste into their first World Cup final since 2014.

The final against France was an epic affair, with Argentina blitzing into a two-goal lead. Messi opened the scoring from the penalty spot before Ángel Di María doubled their advantage.

However, France fought back in the second half with two goals of their own in a game that Argentina had largely dominated. In extra time, it looked as though they were finally going to get over the line when Messi linked up brilliantly in attack before poking the ball past Hugo Lloris.

Unfortunately for Messi and Argentina, France struck back once again, meaning the match would be settled by a penalty shootout. Argentina held their nerve from 12 yards, winning the shootout and ensuring that Messi finally became a world champion.

The little magician has started this World Cup in fine form. He looks hungry, he looks dangerous, and he remains at the heart of Argentina’s success.

Argentina have five goals, Messi has five goals, and, to be honest, the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner looks as unstoppable as ever. It will be fascinating to see how the boy from Rosario bows out on the World Stage, if it is his final World Cup.