Lionel Messi keeps adding to his goal tally at the 2026 World Cup, and one more burst could tick off another landmark.
The Argentina captain has five goals from his first two group games — a treble against Algeria and a double against Austria — and already stands as the tournament’s all-time leading scorer with 18.
One man still sits above him for a single group stage. Gerd Müller scored seven across the group phase of Mexico 1970, on his way to 10 for the tournament.
Argentina close their group against Jordan on Saturday. A Messi hat-trick would take him to eight for the group stage — one more than the German managed 56 years ago.
Gerd Müller’s group-stage mark within Lionel Messi’s reach
Müller’s seven came in three games at Mexico 1970 — one against Morocco, then a hat-trick against Bulgaria and another against Peru. Only Hungary’s Sándor Kocsis, also on seven in 1954, has matched the group-stage haul, and no one has gone beyond it.
Messi sits on five with one game to play. Three against Jordan would move him clear on eight.
There is a catch. Argentina have already qualified for the round of 32, and coach Lionel Scaloni has hinted he may rest senior players against Jordan.
Messi turns 39 on Wednesday, and minutes will be managed carefully with the knockouts in mind.
If he does start and find his range, the record is there. He has scored all five of Argentina’s goals so far, two decades on from his World Cup debut, and shows no sign of slowing.
Erling Haaland is the other man tearing through the group stage, with four goals in two games for Norway. He is not in Müller’s company yet — but at this World Cup, the goals are not in short supply.
