Who else?
Lionel Messi opened the scoring in Argentina's exhilarating 3-2 win over Cape Verde on Friday, taking down a gorgeous pass from Lisandro Martinez with an exquisite first touch before finding the net.
Messi is the first player to score 20 career World Cup goals, extending his own record. He also took the outright lead in the Golden Boot race at this summer's tournament with seven tallies, one clear of Kylian Mbappe.
For viewers in U.S. only:
MESSI GOOOAAL TO GIVE ARGENTINA THE LEAD 🐐
— FOX Sports (@FOXSports) July 3, 2026
Lionel Messi scores his 20th career FIFA World Cup goal to make it 1-0 over Cape Verde! pic.twitter.com/ewqsqO5Sl9
For viewers in Canada only:
MESSI OH MY GOODNESS WHAT A TOUCH, WHAT A FINISH!! 😮
— TSN (@TSN_Sports) July 3, 2026
It's #FIFAWorldCup goal number 20 and his 7th of the tournament to give Argentina a 1-0 lead! pic.twitter.com/QnSZz69NvX
Messi, who turned 39 this summer, has now scored in eight consecutive World Cup matches. (Yes, that's also a World Cup record).
The Argentina captain played the full 120 minutes in Miami as the reigning champion needed extra time to claim a 3-2 win and avoid an all-time upset.
