Lionel Messi has done something no footballer has ever managed in the history of the World Cup. By scoring twice in Argentina’s 2-0 win over Austria on June 22, 2026, he became the first player to find the net in seven consecutive World Cup matches, a record that will likely outlast most careers entirely.
His 2022 World Cup campaign in Qatar was the crowning moment of his career, earning him the Golden Ball after leading Argentina to the title. The 2026 World Cup, co-hosted across North America, has given Messi one more stage.
For context, the previous record for consecutive World Cup matches with a goal was held at six. Messi has now stepped past that marker with more games potentially still to play in this tournament.
The crypto angle that actually has legs
Messi signed a reported $20 million multiyear deal with Socios.com back in March 2022 to promote digital fan tokens. Socios is the platform behind team-branded tokens that allow holders to vote on minor club or national team decisions, and sometimes just speculate on price movement. The Argentina fan token, ticker ARG, trades on that platform.
