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World Cup is just around the corner and although Argentina is not among the favorites this time around, a certain Leo Messi is keeping the hopes of all the Argentines alive. Lionel Messi is regarded as the best player of this generation by many, and it is not a surprise that he is on the verge of breaking some more records during his World Cup journey this year.
Messi was the golden ball winner during the 2014 World Cup, and fans are expecting yet scintillating performance from the little magician. Even Messi will leave no stone unturned to win the World Cup as it might be his last shot at World Cup glory.
So, here are the 5 records that Messi can match or eclipse during the World Cup 2018:
#5 Most goals in World Cups for Argentina
Currently, Gabriel Batistuta holds the record for most goals scored in World Cups for Argentina. The forward netted 10 times during his World Cup days. He participated in 1994, 1998, and 2002 World Cups for Argentina and scored 4, 5, and 1 goals respectively. He was also Argentina's highest goalscorer until Leo Messi surpassed him.
Lionel Messi, on the other hand, has scored 5 goals in the World Cups. Out of those 5 goals, 4 came during the last edition of the Fifa World Cup when Argentina finished Runner-up. Since Messi is coming into the World Cup on the back of a brilliant individual season with Barcelona, he can surpass the record and become the highest scoring Argentine at the World Cups.
All stats via- Wikipedia
#4 Most matches played in World Cups for Argentina
The mercurial Diego Maradona currently holds the record for most number of matches played for Argentina during his World Cup journey. Diego played a total of 21 matches, spanning over 4 World Cups from 1982 to 1994. Also, he captained his side in 16 games out of those 21 games, which is astonishing, to say the least.
Messi has played a total of 15 games for Argentina in World Cups. and if Argentina go all the way in Russia, Messi will be able to surpass the record held by Maradona and will become the highest capped player for Argentina in Wolrd Cups
#3 Most goals as a captain in World Cup
Diego Maradona captained the Argentine team for a record 16 games during the World Cup. In those 16 games, he bagged 6 goals for Argentina. Maradona scored those goals while captaining the side in 1986, 1990, and 1994 World Cups.
On the other hand, Messi played his first World Cup as a captain in 2014, where he scored 4 goals. So, Messi only requires 3 more goals to eclipse the record of former Argentina skipper and manager to become the highest scoring captain in the World Cups.
#2 Most goals in a single World Cup for Argentina
Guillermo Stábile holds the record for most goals scored in a single World Cup edition for Argentina. The forward played a huge role in guiding Argentina to the final in the 1st ever World Cup in 1930. He scored a mammoth 8 goals in merely 4 appearances during the 1930 World Cup, averaging 2 goals per game in a World Cup! Also, he remains the only player to score in every game he played in World Cup.
Since the Argentines are not expected to go the distance, it seems far-fetched that Messi will breach this record. But Messi has repeatedly shown that he can do the unthinkable and it will be interesting to see what unfolds when the World Cup commences.
#1 Only player to win consecutive Golden Balls.
The current golden ball award scheme was introduced in 1982 World Cup and since then, no player has won the golden twice, let alone consecutively. Since the 1982 World Cup, there have been as many as 9 different players to win the coveted individual honor, including legends like Ronaldo, Zidane, and Maradona etc. But even these legends failed to win the golden ball twice.
Messi won the golden ball during the 2014 World Cup. Also, no other player participating in the World Cup 2018 has won the golden ball previously. So, it is a great opportunity for Messi to cement his legacy as the greatest footballer of this generation by becoming the 1st player to win the golden ball consecutively.
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