Published : 08 Jul 2026, 06:45 AM
Updated : 08 Sep 2026, 09:22 AM
He missed from the penalty spot, but when Argentina's title defence hung in the balance, Lionel Messi once again delivered on the grandest stage.
The captain's stunning equaliser in Argentina's dramatic 3-2 last-16 comeback victory over Egypt not only sparked the fightback but also saw him draw level with a World Cup record that had stood untouched for 96 years.
The goal took Messi's tally at the tournament to eight, making him only the second Argentine to reach that mark in a single World Cup after Guillermo Stábile, who achieved the feat at the inaugural edition in 1930.
The eight-time Ballon d'Or winner also carved out another chapter in football history.
Messi became the first player ever to score in six consecutive World Cup knockout matches, extending a remarkable record that underlines his enduring brilliance in the game's biggest moments.
His strike against Egypt also stretched another extraordinary sequence. Messi has now scored in nine successive World Cup matches -- a streak unmatched in the tournament's history.
No other player has found the net in more than six consecutive World Cup games.
