World Cup 2022
An exclusive club, a first and a Maradona record: memorable game for Lionel Messi
Lionel Messi has long been a living legend (not only) in Argentina
© Glyn Kirk / AFP
The game between Argentina and Australia offered few surprises. For Lionel Messi, however, it was a night he will not soon forget. The striker celebrated an anniversary and a premiere at the same time – and also broke a record.
Even if Argentina lived up to their role as favorites against Australia in the round of 16 of the World Cup and apart from the final phase did not allow much against the “Socceroos”, it was a memorable evening for Lionel Messi.
Round of 16 against Australia: Lionel Messi celebrates the 1000th game of his career
The 35-year-old has now arrived in the 1000 club. Messi played the 1000th game of his professional football career at Al-Rajjan’s Ahmad bin Ali Stadium in Qatar on Saturday. The forward captained Argentina national team against Australia.
It was Messi’s 23rd World Cup game and he is now level with former Italian pro Paolo Maldini. Lothar Matthäus holds the record with 25 World Cup games, followed by Miroslav Klose with 24. The Argentinian played the 169th international match of his career against the “Socceroos”. There are also 778 games for FC Barcelona and 53 games for Paris Saint-Germain since his move last summer. Messi made his professional debut on October 16, 2004 in a city duel at Espanyol Barcelona (1-0), when he came on as a substitute in the 82nd minute.
The goal against “Socceroos” was both a premiere and a record
In addition to the remarkable anniversary, the six-time world footballer also celebrated a premiere and broke a record from Diego Maradona. His goal to make it 1-0 in the 35th minute was also his first goal in the knockout stages of a World Cup and his ninth goal overall at a World Cup. The previous record holder Argentina was Diego Maradona. He had eight goals in his career. Messi had scored in his first World Cup appearance in 2006, but he was not yet a regular in Germany at the time.
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He failed to score in South Africa in 2010 under then-coach Maradona. In 2014, when Argentina lost to Germany in the final, he scored four times. A goal was added in Russia in 2018. He has scored three times in Qatar so far.