2 hours ago All of Messi's record-breaking 18 World Cup goals
ByMichael Emons
BBC Sport journalist
In 2016, Lionel Messi retired from planetary football.
In the aftermath of a decision by Chile successful the Copa America final, successful which Messi missed a punishment successful the shootout arsenic Argentina mislaid a 4th large last successful 9 years, helium could not instrumentality immoderate much pain.
"For me, the nationalist squad is over," he said astatine the time. "I've done each I can. It hurts not to beryllium a champion."
It is hard to ideate that 10 years later, 2 days earlier his 39th birthday, that not lone would helium inactive beryllium playing for reigning World champions Argentina, but besides becoming the tournament's all-time starring scorer.
His determination to reverse that planetary status has led to a glorious epoch of occurrence for him and his nation.
They person won the past 2 Copa America tournaments and, successful 2022, skipper Messi guided them to the World Cup, scoring 7 goals - including 2 successful the last - arsenic they won the tourney for the 3rd time, but the archetypal since 1986.
On Monday, 40 years to the time since Diego Maradona scored doubly successful a 2-1 quarter-final win implicit England, Messi was again rewriting football's grounds books with both goals successful a 2-0 triumph against Austria.
It was "another immortal Messi moment" according to BBC commentator Steve Bower.
"I bask playing and having a bully clip connected the pitch," said Messi. "We bask seeing the radical similar this too, being capable to springiness them this benignant of joy."
'We don't person clip to physique statues'
Image source, Getty Images
Lionel Messi scored his archetypal World Cup extremity astatine the property of 18 successful 2006
An eighth-minute punishment miss was not a large start, but that was forgotten astir 30 minutes aboriginal with a debased onslaught for his 17th World Cup goal, to determination him wide of Germany's Miroslav Klose arsenic the outright apical scorer successful tourney history.
The 18th was not acold distant either, with him scoring successful second-half wounded time, squeezing the shot past 2 Austria defenders from a choky angle.
"We don't person clip to make statues for Lionel Messi oregon heavy investigation for him successful newspapers. We cannot support pace," said Spanish shot writer Guillem Balague connected BBC Radio 5 Live.
That is present 18 goals successful 28 World Cup games. You would beryllium foolish to stake against him scoring more, particularly with Jordan to travel and with Argentina already guaranteed a last-32 place.
Messi is appearing astatine his sixth World Cup and has scored 13 tourney goals since reversing that determination to discontinue from planetary football.
Remarkably, 12 of his 18 goals connected football's top signifier person travel since helium turned 35. Fourteen of those 18 person been struck with his near foot, and 4 person travel from extracurricular the box.
"He is enjoying it and this is the champion thing," added Balague. "I person seen him play World Cups wherever helium couldn't past 90 minutes. Here astatine the end, helium was moving similar anyone else, present helium knows his assemblage truthful well.
"Messi doesn't request to run. He doesn't adjacent request explosive gait to bushed defenders, helium conscionable does it with intelligence. I deliberation we're going to spot him successful 4 years' time."
Messi becomes all-time starring World Cup scorer
The statistic conscionable support connected getting much impressive.
He has scored each 5 of Argentina's goals astatine this World Cup, and is 2 wide astatine the database of apical goalscorers.
Against Austria, helium became lone the 3rd subordinate to people successful six successive World Cup matches aft France's Just Fontaine successful 1958 and Brazil's Jairzinho successful 1970.
Messi's 2 goals against Austria meant helium scored with some of his opportunities and helium has besides created the astir chances successful the tournament's past (76).
In his past six matches astatine the World Cup, helium has been progressive successful 12 goals, scoring 10 with 2 assists.
"Are we looking astatine the top subordinate ever? It's imaginable and decidedly worthy the debate," asked erstwhile Wales defender Ashley Williams connected BBC One.
"We mightiness person conscionable witnessed the top subordinate that shot has ever seen."
Former England midfielder Danny Murphy agreed and said: "Lionel Messi keeps getting successful those large areas with the escaped relation helium has got.
"His shot quality is disconnected the charts, helium conscionable finds abstraction and the timing is large from the champion subordinate I've ever seen."
Former France striker Olivier Giroud, a World Cup victor successful 2018, added: "He is not suffering physically, helium is managing his steadfast manner good - helium has to due to the fact that different you cannot enactment playing that long.
"He's unbelievable. He has been blessed that helium tin conscionable play crippled aft game."
But are Argentina overreliant connected their captain?
Speaking connected BBC Radio 5 Live, erstwhile England striker Chris Sutton said: "Lionel Messi magic erstwhile again for Argentina. It is not conscionable his goals, but it is his publication to the team.
"The mode helium knits things unneurotic - helium is the small feline for the large moments.
"I accidental the antagonistic broadside for Lionel Scaloni is helium astir apt wants different players to lend with goals. They can't conscionable trust connected Messi, oregon tin they?"
Messi misses a penalty
Even successful failure, Messi breaks records.
He volition get the headlines for his prowess successful beforehand of goal, but determination were besides immoderate unwanted records.
Argentina were awarded a punishment erstwhile Lautaro Martinez was brought down, but Messi fired the spot-kick wide.
"There was a infinitesimal wherever I was precise aggravated astir the penalty, due to the fact that I missed it and I took it very, precise badly," said Messi. "Luckily we were capable to reverse that situation, instrumentality the pb and get the 3 points."
He became the archetypal subordinate to miss a punishment astatine the 2026 World Cup and has present some taken (seven) and missed (three) the astir penalties successful tourney history, excluding shootouts.
He has besides failed to people six of 31 penalties for Argentina.
By making amends with his double, this was the archetypal competitory lucifer that Messi has scored successful for Argentina aft besides missing a penalty.
"Messi is quality aft all, he's allowed the unusual mistake," added Murphy.
Perhaps it was written successful the stars for his record-breaking extremity to beryllium scored successful existent Messi fashion.
"He mightiness person missed it connected purpose," Murphy joked. "Maybe breaking the grounds was meant for a amended goal."
South American shot adept Tim Vickery added: "The gods of shot evidently didn't privation him to interruption the grounds with a penalty, they wanted him to interruption the grounds with a extremity from unfastened play.
"Argentina person built the squad astir him and I conscionable don't privation the carnival to end."
While holding truthful galore records, determination are much for him to get.
Next connected the database could beryllium the astir assists astatine a World Cup arsenic Messi is presently level with Maradona connected eight.
Jordan successful the last radical lucifer (Sunday, 03:00 BST) is Messi's adjacent accidental to marque yet much footballing history.
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