A soccer genius like Lionel Messi is expected to hold some records to his name after a long and illustrious career. With excellent performances both at club and national level, he managed to become the most lauded player in the history of the beautiful game— but at nearly 39, even superstars begin to fade.
Come this current World Cup.
Most fans expected this tournament to be Messi’s quiet swan song after the epic triumph at Qatar 2022. But a living legend like Messi is never satisfied. With only two games played in the group stage, the Argentinian has already crushed many records that turned several Polymarket contracts upside down.
Let’s analyze the Messi effect.
All-time Top Scorer: The Ultimate Crown
During the clash against Austria, Lionel Messi set a new record for career goals scored at soccer’s biggest stage.
Entering the match tied for the all-time lead with Germany’s Miroslav Klose, Messi scored the record goal in the 38th minute. During stoppage time in the second half, Messi added to his record, scoring his fifth goal of the tournament to lead Argentina to a 2-0 win.
Currently, Lionel Messi sits alone at the top of the goalscoring board. Chasing him closely appears France's Kylian Mbappé, who is also set to crush several World Cup records during this edition. Their prolific rivalry will be one of the main events for the remainder of the tournament.
The Golden Boot’s Surprise Contender
Besides the lifetime milestone, Messi is actively chasing the Golden Boot awarded to the tournament’s top goal scorer.
At Polymarket, traders are reacting to Messi's performance within the “World Cup: Golden Boot Winner” market. Up until June 19, he was positioned as the third player with the highest implied probability of being the top scorer, right behind Harry Kane and Kylian Mbappe. Now, Messi is the frontrunner with five goals in two matches.
The World Cup is just getting started and Harry Kane and Kylian Mbappe will most likely reclaim the top spots, but the perennial talent of Messi will not let them relax and take the lead for granted.
Total Goal Contributions
With his blistering start, Messi appears as a major contender in a series of different derivative markets, such as “World Cup: Most Goal Contributions,” which factors in both goals and assists.
Currently, Polymarket traders still heavily back Mbappé due to France's expected deep World Cup run, but Messi has consistently gained steam, leaving behind elite playmakers like Harry Kane and clinical strikers like Erling Haaland.
This particular statistical surge will be crucial in another side competition: the race for the Golden Ball, the official award presented to the tournament's best player. As the primary motor behind the reigning champions, Messi's clinical efficiency makes him a favorite for FIFA's technical committee shortlist.
An Unprecedented Six-Edition Longevity
With his opening appearance against Algeria, Messi became the first player in men's football history to play in six different World Cups, a milestone matched by his longtime rival, Cristiano Ronaldo, later in the tournament.
Furthermore, the victory against Austria officially gave Messi the outright record for the most World Cup matches won by a player in history, alongside extending his total appearances to 28 matches. If Argentina manages to reach the finals to defend their crown, that tally could stretch to an unassailable 34.
Messi scored his first World Cup goal on June 16, 2006, against Serbia and Montenegro, when he was just 18 years old. Twenty years later, he continues to break records.
The Argentinian maestro entered the tournament as a retiring legend, but he made it clear that his legacy is still being written match by match.
