Lionel Messi coached Argentina to the World Cup final – and he will already have made history regardless of Sunday’s result.
The 35-year-old has been nothing short of sensational in his quest to get his hands on football’s biggest prize on his fifth and final attempt.
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Messi is co-top scorer (5) and top provider (3) at the World Cup
Messi scored his fifth Qatar 2022 goal and assisted two more in a 3-0 semi-final win over Croatia to secure a meeting with France.
That run has taken the seven-time Ballon d’Or winner to 11 goals and eight assists in 25 World Cup appearances since his debut in 2006.
If he scores in the final against France, live on talkSPORT this weekend, he will smash not one but two long-standing records.
After goals in wins over Saudi Arabia, Mexico, Australia, the Netherlands and now Croatia, Messi would be the first player to score EVER in the group stages, round of 16, quarter-finals, semis. -final and final in a single edition of the World Cup.
Even an assist would see the Argentina captain reach an unprecedented 20 goals in the competition since data was first recorded in 1966.
That would put him ahead of Miroslav Klose (16 goals, 3 assists), Ronaldo Nazario (15 goals, 4 assists) and Gerd Muller (14 goals, 5 assists).
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Messi is level on World Cup goals with Ronaldo
Messi is already set to become the all-time appearances record in World Cup history when he takes to the pitch against France.
And he only needs to play until at least the 24th minute at Lusail Stadium to surpass the record holder Paolo Maldini’s 2,217 minutes played at the World Cup.
Messi’s achievements are all the more remarkable as he has never scored a World Cup knockout goal before this tournament.
But now France have been told they won’t be able to quash Messi’s threat when the two sides meet.
“I think there is no plan against Messi!” Former France international Gaël Clichy told talkSPORT Breakfast on Thursday.
“You can’t plan anything because if he’s there – and he’s been there since the start of the competition – you really can’t stop him.”
Watch the World Cup with talkSPORT
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