Lionel Messi delivered yet another masterclass at the Monumental Stadium against Bolivia, his favorite victim, to whom he has scored the most goals. He added a hat-trick to confirm that Messi’s reign is far from over.

"I'm not setting any dates or deadlines," said the number "10" in a post-match interview, continuing to amaze the world. This only makes us think of one thing: the 2026 World Cup, where the idol could break two significant records.

The Argentine star will be 39 when the national team seeks to defend their World Cup title, after being immortalized as champions in Qatar 2022. There was previously some uncertainty about Messi's participation in the tournament, but as time goes on, the chances of seeing him once again on the World Cup stage increase. Moreover, we cannot overlook the ambition of an athlete who aims to be champion once more.

Records Messi could break at the 2026 World Cup

First player in history to play in six World Cups 🏆

Eight players have appeared in five World Cups, including Antonio Carbajal (Brazil 1950, Switzerland 1954, Sweden 1958, Chile 1962, and England 1966), Rafael Márquez (Korea-Japan 2002, Germany 2006, South Africa 2010, Brazil 2014, and Russia 2018), Lothar Matthäus (Spain 1982, Mexico 1986, Italy 1990, USA 1994, and France 1998), Gianluigi Buffon (France 1998, Korea-Japan 2002, Germany 2006, South Africa 2010, and Brazil 2014), Guillermo Ochoa (Germany 2006, South Africa 2010, Brazil 2014, Russia 2018, and Qatar 2022), Andrés Guardado (Germany 2006, South Africa 2010, Brazil 2014, Russia 2018, and Qatar 2022), and lastly the duo of Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.

Cristiano Ronaldo (Germany 2006, South Africa 2010, Brazil 2014, Russia 2018, and Qatar 2022) could also accompany Messi in this feat. But if the Argentine reaches 2026, he would be the first player to feature in six World Cups.

World Cup’s all-time top scorer ⚽

The upcoming World Cup could also offer Messi the chance to break two more records. However, he needs to score three more goals to tie with Miroslav Klose, who netted 16 goals for Germany in World Cup history.

Messi currently has 13 goals in his five World Cup appearances. If he scores four goals in 2026, he would become the top scorer in the tournament's history, surpassing Gerd Müller (14), Brazil’s Ronaldo (15), and the aforementioned Klose.