Following his inclusion in the starting XI on Saturday, Lionel Messi has added yet another significant accomplishment to his already remarkable career.
The legendary Messi of Argentina will play in his 1000th match for La Albiceleste against Australia in the round of 16 on Saturday in Qatar. After winning Group B, Messi will be looking to lead his team to a quarterfinal spot. The captain of Argentina has so far scored twice in the competition and produced five chances for his team against Poland.
At the competition, Messi has already carved out history. With his goal against Saudi Arabia, he not only became the first Argentine player to score at four World Cups but also surpassed Diego Maradona’s record for World Cup appearances against Poland.
Messi’s World Cup stats
With all eight of his goals coming in the group stage, Messi hopes to score for Argentina in the World Cup’s knockout rounds for the first time. He has made 23 attempts in the knockout stages without scoring, but he has assisted in the round of 16 in each of the three previous tournaments (2010, 2014, and 2018), making him the only player to do so.
The Argentine hopes his appearance against Australia will not be his last at the World Cup in 2022. Messi has already stated that this tournament is his final opportunity to win the competition as a player.
