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Messi at the World Cup: Every Goal & Record, 2006–2026

Jul 23, 2026

A World Cup stadium lit up at night — Lionel Messi finished his sixth and final World Cup in 2026 as the most-capped player in the tournament's history and second on the all-time scoring list with 21 goals

Lionel Messi played six World Cups, more than any man in the tournament’s history, and his scoring record across them is lopsided. He was almost invisible at the first two, decisive in 2014, quiet again in 2018, then scored 15 of his 21 goals in the two tournaments at the end of his career. One of those, Qatar 2022, finally got him the trophy. The other, 2026, ended in a final he lost.

Here is the full account of his World Cup goals, tournament by tournament, plus the records he still holds.

How many World Cup goals does Messi have in total?

Twenty-one, scored across six tournaments between 2006 and 2026. That leaves him second on the men’s all-time list, one behind Mbappé’s 22 and five clear of Miroslav Klose, whose record of 16 Messi broke in the summer of 2026.

Here is how the 21 were spread:

World Cup	Host	Messi’s age	Goals	Argentina’s finish
2006	Germany	18–19	1	Quarter-finals
2010	South Africa	22–23	0	Quarter-finals
2014	Brazil	26–27	4	Runners-up
2018	Russia	30–31	1	Round of 16
2022	Qatar	35	7	Champions
2026	Canada/Mexico/USA	38–39	8	Runners-up

Fifteen of his 21 goals came in his last two tournaments, at 35 and older. The first four World Cups, spread across 12 years of his prime, produced just six between them.

What did Messi do at his first World Cups, in 2006 and 2010?

Not much, by his own standards. In 2006 he was 18 and mostly on the bench. His one goal, against Serbia and Montenegro in a 6-0 group win, made him the youngest scorer at that World Cup, but Argentina went out to Germany on penalties in the quarter-finals and coach José Pékerman left Messi on the bench for the whole game. Argentina fans still bring it up.

2010 was blank. Messi did not score once, even though Argentina attacked freely under Diego Maradona. They reached the quarter-finals again and lost to Germany again, this time 4-0. So after two World Cups he had one goal to his name.

Was 2014 Messi’s best chance before 2022?

It was the closest he had come. Messi scored all four of his goals in the group stage: the winner against Bosnia and Herzegovina, a late one against Iran, and two against Nigeria. Argentina were not a great side that year, and he carried them a long way. He won the Golden Ball as the tournament’s best player.

The final, against Germany in the Maracanã, finished 1-0 after extra time. Mario Götze scored it; late on, a Messi free-kick drifted just wide. Getting the individual award at a tournament he had lost was not much consolation, and he said as much afterwards. He would have to wait until 2022 to put that right.

What happened at Russia 2018?

One goal, and it felt like a low point. Messi missed a penalty in the opening draw with Iceland, then scored a fine goal against Nigeria that helped Argentina scrape out of the group. In the round of 16 they met a young France side and lost 4-3, with Mbappé, then 19, scoring twice in the game that made his name.

Messi was 31 and had already stepped away from the national team once. At that point it was fair to assume this was his last real shot at a World Cup, one goal in Russia and still no trophy.

How did Messi finally win the World Cup in 2022?

By carrying Argentina the whole way. They lost the opener to Saudi Arabia, one of the great World Cup upsets, and then Messi took over. He scored seven times across the tournament: in the group stage, in the quarter-final shootout win over the Netherlands, in the semi against Croatia, and twice in the final. Argentina beat France on penalties after a 3-3 draw, a match a lot of people rate as the best World Cup final ever played.

He won his second Golden Ball and, at 35, finally lifted the trophy. He was also the first player to score in the group stage, round of 16, quarter-final, semi-final and final of the same tournament. The seven goals took his career total to 13, still three behind Klose’s record of 16, but close enough to be worth chasing if he came back for one more.

What did Messi do at the 2026 World Cup?

He came back, and it was his best World Cup for goals. In his sixth tournament, which no man had reached before, Messi scored eight. A hat-trick against Algeria and a brace against Austria carried him past Klose’s 16 and into the all-time lead, and he kept scoring through the knockouts, including a goal in the 2-1 win over England, to reach 21.

He held the all-time record for a few weeks. Then two things went against him. Mbappé overtook him to 22 in the closing days, and Argentina lost the final 1-0 to Spain, Ferran Torres scoring in extra time. Messi finished his last World Cup as a runner-up for the second time, and second on the all-time scoring list.

Which World Cup records does Messi hold?

Even in second place on the goal list, the record book is thick with his name:

Most World Cup tournaments played: six (2006–2026), the first man to reach that mark.
Most matches played at World Cups: more than any player in history, having overtaken Lothar Matthäus’s 25 during the 2022 run and added to it in 2026.
Two Golden Balls (2014, 2022) as the tournament’s best player — the only man to win the award twice.
Most goals for Argentina at World Cups, comfortably clear of Gabriel Batistuta.
Second on the all-time World Cup scoring list with 21, behind only Mbappé.

The only one of these he lost is the aggregate scoring record, and he held even that for about a month. For the wider context, see where he ranks on the all-time World Cup top scorers list, or how his 2022 title sits among every World Cup winner since 1930.

How does Messi compare to Mbappé and Klose?

They got to the top of the list in very different ways. Klose scored his 16 steadily, four tournaments with four or five goals each and no single standout summer. Mbappé did the opposite: 22 in three tournaments, and he is still only 27. Messi’s record is the most uneven of the three. One goal in his first two World Cups, then 20 in the next four, most of them packed into 2022 and 2026.

The number that sets him apart is not the goals, though, but the six tournaments. Klose played four, Mbappé has played three. Messi turned up for a sixth at 39, scored eight, and briefly led the all-time list before Mbappé passed him. He did not finish with the scoring record, but no man has played, or scored in, more World Cups. For the full team side of that story, see Argentina’s World Cup history.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many World Cup goals does Messi have?

Twenty-one, across six tournaments from 2006 to 2026. That is second on the men's all-time list behind Kylian Mbappé's 22, and one clear of Miroslav Klose's old record of 16. Messi added 8 in his final World Cup in 2026.

How many World Cups has Messi played?

Six — 2006, 2010, 2014, 2018, 2022 and 2026 — more than any man in the tournament's history. He also holds the record for most matches played at World Cups, having overtaken Lothar Matthäus during the 2022 run.

Did Messi win the World Cup?

Yes, once. He captained Argentina to the 2022 title in Qatar, beating France on penalties after a 3-3 final. He also reached the final in 2014 and again in 2026, losing both — the last 1-0 to Spain after extra time.

How many World Cup goals did Messi score in 2026?

Eight. It was the most he had scored at any single World Cup, more even than his seven in the winning 2022 campaign, and it took him past Klose's all-time record to 21 before Mbappé overtook him late in the tournament.

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Published: Jul 23, 2026